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kiyoomi-levin · 4 months

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Morning Routine [nsfw]

(Wakatoshi Ushijima x F!Reader)

a/n this is something i wrote and edited today in a single run >.< I wanted to release a haikyuu fluff fic for my tumblr debut but i was just possessed by something this morning and rolled outta bed and just typed this up hehe.. reblogs and comments appreciated!! i have like 12 unfinished works rn and i am busting my ass off to get those finished and published! please be on the lookout for more from me!

summary:: wakatoshi has a bad habit-- his morning routine revolves around you. more specifically, cumming to the sounds of you. warnings:: wakatoshi is highkey a creep/stalker but this fic is fluffy i promise music rec!:: 2fast by superm <AKA the song i listened to when writing> word count:: 1.9k

6:33 AM, the blinking clock reads.

He doesn’t even need an alarm now.

Silently, Wakatoshi rolls over, reaches over to his nightstand and grasps the two items he needs most– lube and toilet paper.

Sighing, he sits himself up, leaning against the headboard of the bed, and, as if awaiting instructions, goes very, very still.

In a way, he is waiting for orders. You just aren’t aware that you’re the one giving them.

6:34 AM. A mere minute before you’re up and he can get started with his day. It doesn’t feel right, yet he can’t stop. Shaking his head, Wakatoshi shifts his weight around, impatient.

I should stop.

There it is. That nagging voice of reason that scolds him every morning. But really, at this point, he can’t function normally without you.

There’s a certain amount of stress that comes with carrying the title of ace. All the papers praising his skills, cheering fangirls, and words of encouragement from coach only added to the ever growing expectations that people had for him.

Luckily, when he was a senior in high school, Wakatoshi had discovered what best alleviates this pressure– not meditation, not Tendo’s comics, but sexual relief.

Every morning, a quick handjob does the job, gets him into prime condition. He even checked with his primary doctor to ensure it’s safe and healthy to release everyday– “you’ll be fine, Wakatoshi, as long as you don’t consume too much porn,” the old man had advised kindly.

He took the doctor’s words to heart– since he had discovered this method of relief, Wakatoshi had never viewed porn. Some of his teammates laughed at him when they found out he almost religiously avoids it, but he doesn’t want to contaminate his brain with potentially intrusive or disturbing visions. His imagination has always been enough, after all.

Until he met you.

In a way, you’re both a blessing and a curse– probably the latter, he admits to himself. Because since he’d met you months ago, the only thing that’s been able to get him up is you.

He’s never slept so well, his skin has never looked so clear, and, most importantly, his condition on court has never been better. He’s considered the possibility of you being a goddess, or possibly his guardian angel and can only rule those out with the fact that you, like him, masturbate.

More accurately, masturbate. Every. Single. Morning.

Then he hears it. The first soft moan. Wakatoshi glances at the time– 6:37 AM. You’re getting a slightly late start today.

No matter. He lifts his hips, gently rolls down his gray sweats to his lower thigh. He’s already hard. He doesn’t even have to touch himself now to get excited. Your quiet voice and the thoughts of you are enough.

Poor you. You’re unaware that despite residing in a luxurious, single-person room reserved for school athletes, the walls are criminally thin.

Wakatoshi pops open the lid of the lube, squirting a glob into his warm hand. He throws aside the bottle, barely registering as it bounces off the bed, only intent on listening into the sounds of you and your body.

When he first grasps his cock, he has to hold back a groan. Despite it being an everyday routine, he still feels the same surge of pleasure as when he first started this nasty habit months ago.

You're breathing slightly more heavily now, and he hears the sounds of your fingers inserting and exiting your body at a familiar pace. He follows along, carefully stroking up and down.

He wonders where you’ve learned this from, because you always go at the perfect pace. Somedays, you go slower, teasing yourself, pausing just before you orgasm, but it’s always.

It’s always exactly what he needs.

God. He knows this is wrong, even as he pumps faster with his left hand to keep up with your quick fingers. It feels so good.

Next door, you’re beginning to let out soft cries.

He presses his thumb against the tip, holding back a moan of his own as he envisions you jerking him off.

He’s seen your hand before– extra soft from being in gloves for multiple hours daily as a fencer.

Thinking about your sport has him thinking about his, and now he’s back to thinking about how wrong this is. But he can’t help it, he’s already tried to give it up once– yielding horrible results.

The day he held back and skipped a morning fap session with you was also the hardest day of his life. He had found himself unable to focus in lecture, especially grumpy towards Tendo’s typically bearable antics, and worst of all, all his hits were off.

“Your schedule must be off,” his captain had said, casually tossing a ball high into the air.

“Bad sleep? Rough morning?”

Wakatoshi had blinked at him wordlessly, wondering how the tall setter had guessed accurately.

“It’s fine,” the third-year had reassured him, “just get back on track tomorrow.”

With that, Wakatoshi had found himself ‘back on track,’ masturbating with– no, to you– every morning.

You’re moaning out loud now, almost whimpering. His cock pulses in his hands, veins bulging, growing hotter and heavy. Fuck, he just wants to see you right now. Your cute face, your sexy neck, gorgeous arms...

He can almost see it now– your smooth thighs shaking and twisting as your small hands would grasp your pillow. He’d make you feel so good, he just knows it. He’d lean against you, kiss your neck and ear before whispering how good you are, how you’re making him cum, how much he loves you!

You’d cum, and he wouldn’t stop. He’d want to see your eyes roll back over and over again, and he’d memorize every inch of your face.

Wakatoshi holds back another groan. His fisted hand feels so good against his cock, especially as it imagines it’s your tight pussy.

Contrary to what Tendo believes (the only one to know about this bad habit) it wasn’t just your soft moans and quiet gasps that had him clenching his sheets as he lifted his hips.

He had long fallen for you, since you had first locked eyes with him in the long hallway.

There was something about you. The way you always smile up at him gently– not in the way that other girls smile at him, as if they want something (usually his number)– but a genuine smile, eyes crinkling slightly.

This unexpected attraction was only exacerbated when you sat next to him at the first-years’ dinner party. You smelled so fucking good and listened to his words with actual interest, asking him about his family and laughing at his lame jokes.

Unfortunately, he was also scared.

He had heard about the countless rejections you’d dished out since the first day of university.

Despite his perceived sexual ignorance, Wakatoshi knew everything there was to know– he was popular, too, in his own right. Tall and lean, there were girls throwing themselves on him left and right.

But he only wanted you.

Today, he must be extra stressed (especially with that upcoming psychology exam that he hasn’t studied for yet) because he’s so, so close, yet can’t seem to finish.

Fine then.

He leans over, grabs his cell phone. He only does this in emergency cases, which occurs about once or twice a month.

Swiping up, he’s greeted by his photo gallery, opened the night prior for this cause.

In his locked gallery awaits dozens of photos of you.

Obviously none were taken by him!

Wakatoshi’s a creep, but one with manners and boundaries.

This gallery is cluttered with headshots of you from the school’s official website, silly photos of you that were sent into the college athlete’s group chat, and his favorite– photos of you from your close friend who sells them to him at fair prices, starting at $10 minimum.

None are suggestive. But they still rile him up, maybe because the only connection he has with you is through your early morning activities.

Wakatoshi desperately taps on the newest picture he bought for $40, quadruple the usual price– he can hear your breath hitching, and he knows you’re almost done.

He wants to finish with you so bad.

He was going to save this picture for next week, when he knows you’ll be gone for the fencing nationals and he’ll have to cum without you for an entire miserable, dreadful, god-forsaken week–

but he doesn’t care now. Nothing matters.

It’s a glorious photo– when he heard your friend had it, he had grabbed her by the shoulders and demanded a price.

You. On the beach. Under an umbrella. Lying on a purple towel.

He had paid an extra ten dollars for the motion picture– so he could watch you go from ass up onto your back, breasts jiggling and cheeky smirk in full action.

That’s enough.

He holds his fist tight–one more pump and he’s finished, but he wants to make sure you’re cumming first– and he hears it– to his relief, you’re moaning and whispering– “‘m cumming!”

Yeah, he’s cumming too. His hips lift again, and he drags his closed fist downwards against his wet cock. His vision blurs.

“Fuck!”

He can’t help it, today’s orgasm is especially strong, taking control of his full body. He’s shaking, mind barely in control as he continues to slowly pump to ride out the whole orgasm. After all, that’s what you’d do, right? You’d keep riding him, even as he finished and begged you to stop.

Thank God we came together.

Sometimes, you bait him. More often than he likes, you switch it up, holding yourself back and not allowing yourself to cum before masturbating all over again for an even more powerful orgasm. Those days suck– when he’s already softening, cum all over his large hands, and you’re still going.

He hears your bed squeak, and he sighs– as soon as it starts, it’s already over.

6:45 AM, his phone reads. Wakatoshi tosses it aside.

Thankfully, he had pulled his phone away in time, avoiding tainting the device with his release. A few times a month, he gets careless and cums onto an open picture of you, causing him to have to run through his shower extra fast so he can leave time to wipe down the device.

Rolling off the bed, he heads towards the shower leisurely. It’s also become a part of his routine to time his shower. It makes him feel even more intimately connected to you.

Wakatoshi’s grateful you take long showers– you’ve never taken less than 24 minutes to shower, typically, they last about 34 minutes on average. That gives him the time to jump out first and wait to exit his room at the same time you depart from yours.

Under the heat of warm water, he’s usually consumed with thoughts of you, impossible thoughts, like maybe you know.

The wall between you and him is equally thin, and your hearing may be as equally good as his…

Maybe you know, and you like masturbating with him.

And then, just as a precaution, he douses himself with cold water at the end of his shower, and those thoughts dissipate with the steam escaping towards the vent.

Like everyday, Wakatoshi laces his shoes, sprays on his favorite cologne (that your friend claims you like) and inhales, bracing himself to see you.

As he hears your feet shuffle, he pushes his door open first, stepping out into the warm hallway.

“Good morning, Wakatoshi!” You greet, eyes brightening. He nods, gulping. That’s an acceptable form of greeting, right?

As the two of you walk towards the elevator in silence, Wakatoshi can’t help but hope that this morning routine won’t be coming to a stop anytime soon.

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a/n and that's a wrap :,) i really hope you liked and sorry the ending is highkey shit LOL as i kept editing i kept adding and removing more and more and honestly that's kind of my biggest weakness:: i'm never satisfied with my work and i'm scared ppl won't like it ... but i'm trying to overcome that!

#haikyuu smut #haikyuu #wakatoshi x reader #ushijima wakatoshi #haikyuu wakatoshi #hq wakatoshi #ushijima x reader #ushijima smut #haikyuu ushijima #haikyuu fic #haikyuu x you #haikyuu fanfiction #haikyuu x reader

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dailyadventureprompts · 6 months

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Tableskills: Creating Dread

I've often had a lot of problems telling scary stories at my table, whether it be in d&d or other horror focused games. I personally don't get scared easily, especially around "traditionally horrifying" things so it's hard for me to recreate that experience in others. Likewise, you can't just port horror movie iconography into tabletop and expect it to evoke genuine fear: I've already spoken of being bored out of my mind during the zombie apocalypse, and my few trips into ravenloft have all been filled with similar levels of limp and derivative grimdark.

It took me a long time (and a lot of video essays about films I'd never watched) to realize that in terms of an experience fear is a lot like a joke, in that it requires multiple steps of setup and payoff. Dread is that setup, it's the rising tension in a scene that makes the revelation worth it, the slow and literal rising of a rollercoaster before the drop. It's way easier to inspire dread in your party than it is to scare them apropos of nothing, which has the added flexibility of letting you choose just the right time to deliver the frights.

TLDR: You start with one of the basic human fears (guide to that below) to emotionally prime your players and introduce it to your party in a initially non-threataning manor. Then you introduce a more severe version of it in a way that has stakes but is not overwhelmingly scary just yet. You wait until they're neck deep in this second scenario before throwing in some kind of twist that forces them to confront their discomfort head on.

More advice (and spoilers for The Magnus Archives) below the cut.

Before we go any farther it's vitally important that you learn your party's limits and triggers before a game begins. A lot of ttrpg content can be downright horrifying without even trying to be, so it's critical you know how everyone in your party is going to react to something before you go into it. Whether or not you're running an actual horror game or just wanting to add some tension to an otherwise heroic romp, you and your group need to be on the same page about this, and discuss safety systems from session 0 onwards.

The Fundamental Fears: It may seem a bit basic but one of the greatest tools to help me understand different aspects of horror was the taxonomy invented by Jonathan Sims of The Magnus Archives podcast. He breaks down fear into different thematic and emotional through lines, each given a snappy name and iconography that's so memorable that I often joke it's the queer-horror version of pokemon types or hogwarts houses. If we start with a basic understanding of WHY people find things scary we learn just what dials we need turn in order to build dread in our players.

Implementation: Each of these examples is like a colour we can paint a scene or encounter with, flavouring it just so to tickle a particular, primal part of our party's brains. You don't have to do much, just something along the lines of "the upcoming cave tunnel is getting a little too close for comfort" or "the all-too thin walkway creaks under your weight ", or "what you don't see is the movement at the edge of the room". Once the seed is planted your party's' minds will do most of the work: humans are social, pattern seeking creatures, and the hint of danger to one member of the group will lay the groundwork of fear in all the rest.

The trick here is not to over commit, which is the mistake most ttrpgs make with horror: actually showing the monster, putting the party into a dangerous situation, that’s the finisher, the punchline of the joke. It’s also a release valve on all the pressure you’ve been hard at work building.

There’s nothing all that scary about fighting a level-appropriate number of skeletons, but forcing your party to creep through a series of dark, cobweb infested catacombs with the THREAT of being attacked by undead? That’s going to have them climbing the walls.

Let narration and bad dice rolls be your main tools here, driving home the discomfort, the risk, the looming threat.

Surprise: Now that you’ve got your party marinating in dread, what you want to do to really scare them is to throw a curve ball. Go back to that list and find another fear which either compliments or contrasts the original one you set up, and have it lurking juuuust out of reach ready to pop up at a moment of perfect tension like a jack in the box. The party is climbing down a slick interior of an underdark cavern, bottom nowhere in sight? They expect to to fall, but what they couldn't possibly expect is for a giant arm to reach out of the darkness and pull one of them down. Have the party figured out that there's a shapeshifter that's infiltrated the rebel meeting and is killing their allies? They suspect suspicion and lies but what they don't expect is for the rebel base to suddenly be on FIRE forcing them to run.

My expert advice is to lightly tease this second threat LONG before you introduce the initial scare. Your players will think you're a genius for doing what amounts to a little extra work, and curse themselves for not paying more attention.

Restraint: Less is more when it comes to scares, as if you do this trick too often your players are going to be inured to it. Try to do it maybe once an adventure, or dungeon level. Scares hit so much harder when the party isn't expecting them. If you're specifically playing in a "horror" game, it's a good idea to introduce a few false scares, or make multiple encounters part of the same bait and switch scare tactic: If we're going into the filthy gross sewer with mould and rot and rats and the like, you'll get more punch if the final challenge isn't corruption based, but is instead some new threat that we could have never prepared for.

Art

#tableskills #horror #spooky #halloween #the magnus archives #dm tip #dm advice #dm tips

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in1-nutshell · 4 months

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You know how Cybertronian is afraid of scarplet, right? Imagine this

Cybertronian buddy just out of nowhere and somehow best friend the scarplet like taming a wild animal. And i was hoping if you can do the Autobots reactions first before doing the Decepticons next, thank you and have a wonderful day.

Taming Scraplets! Wow this is going to be good! Since you did not specify which bots or cons you want, I will be choosing them at random. This also goes for the continuity. Please visit the request guidelines on the Welcome for more information. If this is not what you want, please let me know.

Hope you enjoy!

Ratchet, Bulkhead, Smokescreen, Shockwave, and Predaking react to Bot Buddy taming some Scraplets

SFW, platonic, Cybertronian) Bot reader

TFP

No one knows how they did it. But they did it. Buddy managed to tame a small colony of Scraplets. They are as obedient as one of the Earth dogs.

Ratchet

Ratchet is screaming when he sees Buddy return with the scraplets.

He already has Buddy behind him and his scalpel ready. There is no way he is going down without a fight.

"Wait Ratchet don't!"--Buddy

"Buddy?! What are you doing?! Get behind me! You know what Scraplets can do!"--Ratchet

"Yeah I know but these little guys are friendly!"--Buddy

"Friendly?! Have you lost your mind!?"--Ratchet

"Look I trained them. They wouldn't hurt anyone unless I say so."--Buddy

"Trained or not, they are not coming anywhere near the others."--Ratchet

"Beep beep boop BEEREEP BEEEEERRP BRP BEEREEP! (Hey guys, what's all the yell--OH MY PRIMUS! WHY ARE THERE A BUNCH OF SCRAPLETS ON BUDDY'S SERVOS!)"--Bumblebee

Ratchet doesn't care if they are trained or not. A vermin is a vermin in his optics.

It takes a considerable amount of time for Ratchet to even relax in the same room as they are.

Bulkhead

Bulkhead has on specific flashbacks the second his.optics.land on Buddy holding some Scraplets in their servos.

The poor guy thought Buddy was going to get eaten and they were in shock, explaining why they weren't fighting back.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!! SCRAPLETS! SCRAPLETS!"--Bulkhead

"Bulkhead stop screaming so loud! You're going to agitate them!"--Buddy

"Why aren't you screaming?! You have Scraplets in your servos!"--Bulkhead

"Easy. I tamed them."--Buddy

"If you tamed them then that means Smokescreen is the next Prime!"--Bulkhead

"I know that's rude, but I'll take it as a compliment!"--Smokescreen

For Bulkhead's sake, Buddy has to make sure the Scraplets stay in another room, away from him.

Buddy does apologize for taking this so casually, knowing the horrors he has seen.

The most he can tolerate with the Scraplets is not seeing one.

Smokescreen

Smokescreen knows what a Scraplet is, he's just never seen one.

When Buddy comes back with the Scraplets in their servos, his curiosity gets the best of him.

"Uuummmm... Buddy? Whatcha got there?"--Smokescreen

"Well I found these bolts here to feed the others. They were down by the gulch, why?"--Buddy

"... You are way too calm to be holding Scraplets."--Smokescreen

"I tamed them Smokescreen."--Buddy

"Really?! Can I hold them?"--Smokescreen

"Sure!"--Buddy

Since he wasn't around to see the damage of the other Scraplets, he doesn't hold the same fears or grudges like the others have.

He wants to tame some Scraplets of his own.

Shockwave

Shockwave firmly believes that Buddy is an Outlier.

He is a bit surprised to see Buddy hold the Scraplets in their servos.

"What do you have in your servos?"--Shockwave

"Scraplets? I tamed them!"--Buddy

"For what reason? To act as your guard dog or to release them on the Autobots?"--Shockwave

"...I just wanted to tame some Scraplets..."--Buddy

"That is simply illogical. Why waste your time on something like this if you are not going to use it?"--Shockwave

"... Because I had free time?"--Buddy

He doesn't accept Buddy answers or ways they tamed to Scraplets. Though he does take notes, for the sake of science.

His lab is ready to do some testing on Buddy if they truly are an Outlier.

Predaking

First things first... Predaking doesn't even know what a Scraplet is.

He wasn't around when the Autobots got attacked by them or was he near Vector Sigma when they overcrowded the place.

When Buddy comes to the ship with a servo filled with Scraplets, he is curious.

"Buddy what are these creatures?"--Predaking

"Oh! These are Scraplets. I managed to tame them a couple of cycles ago."--Buddy

"Tame them?"--Predaking

"A wild Scraplet will eat you with a second thought. But these little guys won't!"--Buddy

"Small creatures... Yet surprisingly powerful. May I?"--Predaking

"Sure you can hold them!"--Buddy

Predaking soon becomes the Scraplets second care giver besides Buddy.

The Scraplets often follow Predaking around like ducklings if they aren't with Buddy. Truly he is leading his troops around the ship to establish his dominance... And maybe to scare a certain Seeker along the way.

#transformers #transformers x reader #maccadam #tfp #tfp x reader #tfp ratchet #tfp bulkhead #tfp smokescreen #tfp shockwave #tfp predaking #bot buddy #tfp x platonic reader

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lovelyyandereaddictionpoint · 1 year

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The brothers reaction to F!mc being stuck in a wall classic trope it can be nsfw If you want

Stuck in a Wall | Yandere Obey Me

If by brothers you mean the seven in Obey Me then they would love it. So much happens at the house of lamentation that it's only a given that at some point you end up stuck in the wall: your bottom exposed and your flailing hands as you frantically implore your demons to help you. Now whether they actually listen is up to them but it's a given that they all most certainly enjoy it:

Lucifer

“....Mammon?”

“Mammon.”

He’ll tiredly hold the bridge of his nose before moving his hands to release you

But he stops

Letting a coy smile spread across his face as he imagines actually using a spell to see you’re relieved face turns into confusion

“Luci?”

“...Now I don’t have to release you just yet. Heck, I might just let you serve your punishment for joining that idiot.”

“W-what?!”

“Of course, I’ll release you after.”

Better hope you haven’t incurred his wrath previously

Because even without a clear connection to why this has happened to you he’s chuckling

He’s generally tame if your rapport is good

Pinching the fat of your waist, your thigh

But if you’ve been particularly naughty he’s letting his hand come down on your unattended behind

holding your legs so that your kicking does nothing to thwart him

Granted a punishment is given if you’ve been too busy running around with his other brothers

Or actively participating in the Anti-lucifer League’s schemes

Or taking his brother’s sides when they’re being particularly unbearable

It's the least you can do for him

Reminding you who owns you

“Don’t bother struggling now. Taking your punishment is the least you can do after letting everyone but me keep you close.”

Mammon

“A random butt sticking out of the wall! What do I do? Do I smack it or–”

“Mammon! If you smack me, so help me–”

“Oh- it talks!?”

“Mammon!”

Because he’s Mammon it takes a while before he puts two and two together

But when he finally does

He’s torn between giving into his mischievous side and his immense desire to please you

“Come on, Mammon i just need you to pull me out.”

“Pull…?”

“Yeah grab my waist and pull me out that’s all you have to do.”

“...Your waist….”

“Uhhh Mammon are you okay?”

He’s burning up

He already knew that every part of you was beautiful but now he’s remembered just how beautiful

Even split in half you’re the sexiest in his whole world

Now how can he let up a chance to touch you now

But it's all up to how well you’ve kept him your dog fed

Have you pushed past his fake+ protests to sit with him while he gambled his earnings away

Or wearing the jewelry he bought

Or rewarding him for being the loyal dog that he is

Otherwise, he’ll have to collect your debt with building interest

“Other than your arms…you can’t really stop me from kissin’ ya anyway right?”

Leviathan

“Ahahahaha, this is–ha–just like that one anime! Now you’re helpless Ruri-chan as I steal the magic fauna.”

“Levi! Just get me out, please.”

“And give up a prime lucky-leecher moment? I’m no fool!”

He’s all talk now

Because he can’t see you’re angry face

Only your defenseless rump is perfectly defensive as you exhaustingly kick your legs

You can’t see the insane blush on his face

Or the camera flashes+

“Y-you probably don’t want a disgusting otaku to be your savior, right? So it’s best if I just stay here–”

“Noo…wait Levi…please? Can you be…my hero? A passing adventurer’s side quest…w-will y-you help a fellow adventurer out?”

“Hahaha with a romance benefit and experience points?!”

“...Fine.”

He either wants to chicken out or idly fantasize about your predicament

You have to play his game

Granted you’ll have to take a few liberties giving him a minute or two free range

“Here I come! With a hero’s reward on the line!”

Satan

“Oh my, what have we here?”

One of the worst

He’s most aware of what he could get away with at this moment

And he’s going to play as coy as he likes for as long as he wants

You’re helpless prey and he’s pouncing

“Well well, what is a bodiless butt sticking out of the wall?”

“Please Satan I got stuck and–”

“It’s a shame I have no idea where the mouth is to it but it most certainly has a nice shape.”

“Satan! Please! I know you can hear me! Ah~!”

“Fits so nicely in my hands.”

You’re going to barter

And that’s what he’s counting on

Not only will he be getting to feel you in places

But whatever you have to offer will be wonderful to call for whenever he feels peckish

Or wants to piss Lucifer off

And if you’re not offering anything of value he wins just as much

“Well if I just stick the end of this cattail in here, we can have ourselves a grand old time.”

Asmodeus

“Ahhh~just for me (Y/n)-baby!”

“What!? No! No!”

The absolute worst to find you like this

He can’t be bartered with, fought off, or tricked

He’s going to have you

After all, you’re practically giving yourself to himself

“Awww stop struggling baby~it’ll feel great~!”

“No! Asmo stop! Put back on my–ah~!”

“Seee?! Didn’t I say?!”

Nothing’s stopping him from hammering+ bothering both stuck sides of your person

You’re mild frantic attempts to stop him are simply cute demonstrations of your nervousness

But let him wash it all away

“No worries darling! When we’re done we can have one last sesh in the bath m’kay.”

Beelzebub

“That butt looks a lot like (Yn)’s…”

It is sheer luck that he looks up from whatever he’s eating to notice you

He’ll stand there debating if he wants to get involved

And even when you call out to him

He’s quickly finishing his food before actually coming over

“Beel! Get me out of here!”

“Hmmm?”

“Beel stop eating and get me out!”

“Mmm okay.”

Don’t expect him to let you run off now that he’s holding you by the waist

He remembers how much smaller you are to him

And whens the next time he’s going to be able to take you to him and Belphie’s room before someone runs off with you

“Hey, have you eaten yet?”

Belphegor

“Ah there you are I was looking for you.”

This is going to be quick and easy…

If everything’s alright

If he’s not being moody, stressed out, tired, mildly irritated

You’ll be fine

But if not he’ll have so much pent-up energy there can be only one way to release it

“B-belphie a-are you okay?”

“Oh I will be. So just stay still.”

“Wait hold on-”

“Shhh I’ll be quick.”

He means it

This is just to get started

The beginning of affection is long overdue

‘Why do you have to be with everyone but me!’

‘Just because I’m sleeping it doesn’t mean I don’t want you near’+

“We can continue in bed I’m tired of standing here.”

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faegoddessog · 2 months

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Feyd's Gom Jabbar

DUNE 2: Missing Scene (my own take)

Summary: Lady Margot Fenring is on a Bene Gesserit mission: test and preserve the genetics of the Na-Baron Feyd Rautha Harkonnen. She is well aware of his deranged pleasures of choice. Armed with her Pain Box, Gom Jabbar, her Voice and her substantial wiles and wits, she delves into Feyd's world. She is unprepared, however, for her own reaction to his... attentions.

WARNINGS!! EXPLICITLY MATURE CONTENT, 18+, NOT for the faint of heart, this is a dark story for a dark character.

This is a hard turn from my usual writings, so reader beware. This is NOT Austin... this is Feyd. He is sadistic, uncaring, aggressive and ambitious.

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⚠️⚠️Warnings: hickeys, biting to draw blood, minor blood play, pain, sadism, beating with a belt, restraint, degradation, pussy spanking, breeding, implied prior abuse of a child, vocal manipulation and control, hard PIV, choking, mentions of knife play⚠️⚠️

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A/N: It is unclear if Feyd is 17 Geidi Prime years or Standard Galactic years. (1 SG or earth year = 2.6 GP years) So take this story as you will as far as age goes. I am a DUNE fan and have tried to layer world tidbits into this story.

PSA: This fictional depiction of BDSM is brutal and inspired by the characters from DUNE part 2. It is not meant to misconstrue BDSM or it's community or defame the rightful owners of the DUNE franchise. This is just pure S&M fantasy/fun. Before you play in ANY kinky way please garner consent, please discuss the scene, please set up safe words and please remember your aftercare. Safe, Sane, and Consensual my loves!

@austinbutlerslovers, @elvismylove04

Feyd’s GomJabbar

He is kneeling in front of her, though he does not know how he got here. His hand is in a box and his keen senses feel the sharp needle point at his neck.

Lady Fenring is sitting on the bench at the foot of the bed. She is saying something about seeing if he is human through pain. The corner of his lip curls and he blows a short breath through his nose.

‘Pain,’ he thinks to himself, ‘does this woman think I don't know pain just because I am na-Baron? I knew how to deal with pain before I was 10 standard years old.’

She sees his smirk at the idea of pain. Most, when the test is sprung on them, drop immediately into panic, even if they try not to show it.

“You are not afraid?” she can’t help but ask.

“Pft, there is nothing here to fear,” and he nods his face toward the box.

She closes her eyes, turning on the nerve pain inducers with her Bene Gesserit Prana Nervature abilities.

When she opens them, he is staring at her with cold, snake-like eyes. His lips, not set in grim acceptance, but lightly closed, amused, waiting.

An itching, a burning, these are nothing to Feyd. Then the pain shoots like lighting through his fingers and palm, radiating out the back of his long fingered hand.

As the pain increases, his eyes close and his naked forehead scrunches together. The most sensual of moans rumbles in his chest. His plush lips twitch and his head tilts to the side.

The only way to survive the kind of upbringing he had, was to delve into the pain, transform it into pleasure.

His other hand is on her knee, kneading creeping incrementally up her thigh. His lips part as a breathy ‘oh’ leaves his lips. His head drops back as his eyelids flutter.

“Yes,” he breathes out as though her lips were wrapped around his cock.

She realizes with a jolt, it’s like foreplay for him. Curious, she increases the pain past where she should.

His abs contract, and he moans as his eyes fling open to stare at hers. The predator she sees in those dark orbs internally shocks her. But her training has been far too thorough to show it.

“Remove your hand, human.” she says in a metered tone, releasing the pain from him.

“I need one of those,” he says in a low voice.

“You wouldn't be able to use it if you did,” she counters.

He slides his hand from the box, not even bothering to look at it. Using it instead to wrap around the back of her neck. His other hand immediately runs up her thigh to her hip. He pulls her lips to his in a demanding kiss. He is so aroused he is about to press himself upon her. All he can think is how he wants to fuck her bloody.

His desire was unexpected. There was no protocol for this kind of behavior. But the way his lips moved on hers, steady, exacting and completely in control. She finds herself drawn to him, despite his playboy reputation.

“{{Stop, remove your clothes}}” Having registered him in the hallway to draw him to her room, she knew exactly what pitch of Voice to use to control him.

She uses the subtle ways, the ones that just seem a suggestion to the target and they still know what they are doing, even if they don’t really have a choice.

His taut muscles relax, he stands and immediately divests himself of his outer Kurta, then belt, tunic and trousers. He stands in front of her naked. The alabaster skin was expected, indicative of living under the black sun of Giedi Prime. But his sculpted physique is magnificently breathtaking. He looks as if he was chiseled from the very bones of the planet. His wide, muscled shoulders and chest rising and falling as he breathes deep. The V of his torso is echoed in the V of his waist, drawing her eyes down to his lengthy cockstand. Erect, willing, waiting. He is stunning. It’s not always that a Sister is sent on this kind of mission and gets such a gorgeous specimen. She is going to enjoy this far more than she expected.

She leans back on the foot of the bed. The graceful arc of her hand pulls the diaphanous black dress back, revealing the long slit up the front. Her bare legs are long and supple. They open to reveal a bald pussy, already wet and waiting for him.

Her Ovulation Ritual completed, her eggs wait, ready to receive. In the AfterRite, she will consciously dispel any male zygotes and select the most vigorous female to be implanted, to carry the formidable genetics of this specimen.

She releases her voice-hold on him. Wondering what he’ll do.

Feyd looks her over as though she were a meal and he likes to play with his food. He doesn't just stick his dick in her like some hormone driven youth, he has a certain twisted honor about him. He inhales her scent, her pheromones calculated specifically for him, now that she has kissed him and sampled his genetics. He growls, animalistic and predatory.

“You are truly beautiful, Lady. I’m going to enjoy having my way with you. I’m going to watch that pale skin welt maybe even bleed before I fuck you,” as he speaks, he kneels down on one knee, a hidden hand reaching for the belt atop his pile of clothes.

Lady Margot doesn't flinch at his words. Pain training is the first thing she mastered in the Bene Gesserit school. Her eyes flash in desire at him. A little pain, a little blood spilled; this is a small price for the extraction of his genes.

He leans in and puts his mouth on her creamy inner thigh. Licking with that long tongue, sucking her flesh hard into his mouth. He lifts her legs, knees bent wide to her torso. Her cunt open and wide to him. He licks and sucks, and licks and sucks. His long fingers gripping her thigh. He is methodical, leaving a neat row of oval bruises like garters around her inner thighs.

The repetitive lick, suck, twinge of his work starts to lull her body into false expectation. Her mind knows better, it will get worse. And truth be told, she kind of hopes it does. She is curious to see if the rumors are true.

Her pussy is dripping, the scent intoxicating to him, although missing the sharp scent of fear he usually likes. He delights in breaking in new slaves in the pleasure wing. Their dread smells and tastes so delicious. He smiles up at her, a monster in sexy clothing. He nestles his face back into the soft flesh of her inner thigh and bites hard. The sharpened black canines drawing blood.

She yelps at his harsh bite, but keeps herself exposed to him.

His long tongue extends, the tip dragging a line of dark red up her leg. He pulls back, watching the liquid worm it’s way down and drip off her. His cock twitches in response. He repeats on her other side. She moans above him as his teeth sink into her silky flesh.

She, like him, must be a student of the beauty of pain and pleasure, he decides. This must be why she sought him out. Well, he will give her a night she will never forget, something Count Fenring, the eunuch, could never do.

Her blood, nearly black in the light of his dark planet, stains his chin, he makes no move to wipe it off. Seeing his heightened arousal, she directs her body's response to the wound. Tells her platelets to back off and she lets her blood continue to drip, drip, drip.

His belt, previously draped over his bent knee, is now folded in two in his fist. He licks the blood from his lips as a deviant smile spreads on his chiseled features. She truly is a gorgeous creature, and creatures should be domesticated. Broken.

She waits for the blow that is sure to come.

He holds the black strap between his two hands, and in an obviously familiar motion, snaps the leather onto her thigh. Not experimentally, not to see how she reacts, he knows exactly what he is doing.

She yelps again, then moans, transforming her pain into pleasure, as she was taught. Her legs stay open to him.

“Oh, you like that, don’t you pet,” He hits her again on the other thigh, ”Don’t you!” he snarls when she doesn't respond, hitting her harder.

“Yes” is all she breathes. To her surprise, she finds herself believing it.

“Oh wouldn’t it be fun to keep you,” his snake-like voice slithers over her. “Imagine it, my personal highborn pain whore, secreted away in my chambers. I’d strap you, beat you, every night. Decorating your body somewhere new, before I fucked every orifice you have. I’d use your blood to jerk off and make you sleep in pools of blood and cum.” As he casually talks, he is beating her with the strap of his belt. Punishing her bite wounds, spattering little droplets of blood onto her thighs, her pussy, his forearm and fist.

“But you are Lady Fenring, wife to the right hand of the Emperor himself. You’d be missed.” He pushes his lips out in a mock pout. “So I suppose I’ll have to settle for this.”

Then he does it, brings the belt down hard on her pussy. With no warning, she gasps and her body coils, trying to protect her exposed and dripping vulva. She should have been prepared for it, she immediately thinks. She has been letting herself dip too far into his sadistic scene. This scene where the only safe word lies in her use of the Voice and her wits. She must pay attention to the mission.

“Heh heh heh,” his smile is lopsided, psychotic. His eyes narrow predatorily. He saw that spike of fear, he smelled it. He is beginning to get somewhere now.

“Now, now,” he jerks her legs apart, ”open up, I’m not done, Lady.”

The crack of his belt on her pussy resounds in her ears, pain burning like lightning. This time she is ready for it and keeps her body still. Once, twice, three times more he cracks her most sensitive of skin. She winces by the end. His black-toothed smile wide, enjoying her willing anguish.

“Now, Lady-pet, do you want this?” his hand is on his cock, leaving dark red-black streaks up and down his shaft.

She nods. She finds, when she allows herself to look into her own desire, that despite the pain, despite the fact that it’s what she came here for, that she does want it. She wants to feel him in her, and not just for her mission, but for herself. She looks up at him, giving him the exact parting of her lips, the exact mix of desire and fear in her eyes, the exact tilt of her head to make him want her, to need to be inside her.

Sex, pain and desire, she knew now, would be the way to truly control him. How easy it would be to make him her pet, to bind him to her as she probed his deepest subconscious, planting the safeguarding phrases she was ordered to do. Easy to make him hers. She would call him to her with the promise of tortuous pleasure that only they could give one another. There were rumors that the Baron’s plans included Feyd on the throne. What a thing would that be, fucking the Emperor when she needed it, when she wanted it. Secretly controlling him with her whispered words in his ear while he was his most vulnerable, post orgasm. He could be her path to true power.

His tongue runs along the black line inside his lip, considering how he wanted to fuck her. He grabs her hands, the belt cinching down around them. He yanks her to her feet, the lace dress covering her. He drags her around the bed, throwing her down onto her back. He lashes the belt to the convenient D-ring sunk into the headboard, anchoring her arms above her head. Giedi Prime was harsh, but convenient for the truly depraved, even in the guest wing. He doesn't bother with the bodice of her gown, though he thought ripping it off her might be a good way to scare her further.

But no, he is only interested in the blood on her legs, in the warm wetness of her pussy. He doesn't like breasts, they remind him of his hated mother. He tilts his head, like a wolf, looking at her half naked form. She truly is a gorgeous creature. Creatures should be domesticated. Broken.

She lets him bind her, albeit haphazardly. She allows it, noting he is far too aroused to do it properly. Besides, she knows she can get out of it with a word.

“Now, Lady,” his voice is like sandpaper smooth yet harsh at the same time, “I’m gonna fuck you harder than you’ve ever been fucked.”

The words seep into her, she libidinously opens her legs, staring at him, willing him to sink his cock into her. Her pussy is open, waiting, wet, and not just from her mind/body control. She startled by how much she is actually turned on by this beautifully dangerous beast of a man. This must be why they sent her, something the Reverend Mother saw in her, that made her perfect for this mission.

He steps away, fumbling in his pants pocket and produces a personal poison snooper. It’s about a handspan long and cylindrical. He reaches down, pulling her lips apart, straining her skin. She moans as the sensations shoot to her core.

“Can’t be too safe,” he says to her. He activates the wand and shoves it inside her, moving it roughly around. He’s lived his whole life in House Harkonnen, he knows better than to just trust a willing woman. He himself has used Rossak or Elacca microneedles to ensure his victories in the gladiatorial arena. He is struck with the idea of installing one in the thigh of one of his uncle’s slave boys. Now that he is the proclaimed heir, it is only right that he should attempt to assassinate the Baron. A deadly smile spreads on his lips at the thought. The poison snooper beeps twice, finding nothing. He tosses it back on his pile of clothes.

He swipes the blood, still dripping but slower now, across her labia with his hand, brings it to his mouth and licks it off his palm. The coppery taste of her blood mixing with the saltiness of her juices. He is no longer able to stand it, she is like the perfect fuck toy. The way she takes what he gives her. He knows he can’t treat her fully like he does his pleasure slaves, making shallow cuts high on their white bodies, so that the blood drips down onto their naked skin as he fucks them. She is a lady and a guest, afterall. In all honesty, the blood was a risk, but it was his birthday, he could get away with it.

He spreads her again with the fingers on one hand, guiding his beautiful, huge cock just barely into her. He watches her lips part for him, stretch around him. He loves the sight of himself plunging over and over, dominating the flesh.

“If you were my pet, I’d put a ring through this little jewel,” he pinches her clit lightly between thumb and forefinger, “with a long chain. I would lead you around with it. Pull on it and watch your face,” he squeezes cruelly, “do that.”

Her eyes widen and her mouth drops open. Pain and pleasure rocket to her core. Her pussy grips the head of his cock, closing tight. He thrusts into her deep and hard, ramming her open again.

{{{“Listen Feyd,”}}} She slithers into his mind with the strongest Voice, trapping him. His eyes glaze over, his hips slow, fingers still, waiting for her orders. She whispers the spell of binding, the spell that plants the Bene Gesserit control over him deep into his subconscious, should they need it, should she need it. She smiles as she adds her own twist, embedding in him a deep desire for her that would activate with a word spoken from her lips. It’s only fitting, she decides, since it is her blood, her pussy on his cock, that is sealing this witchery.

{{“Fuck me, Feyd,}} She slowly lessens her intense hold on his mind. He resumes thrusting.

{{“My clit”}}, his thumb scrapes at her clit.

She is so full, so turned on. She has actually never used the Voice in sex before. The power is intoxicating. His fingers are rough on her clit, but it’s what she wants, what she needs right now. He feels so fucking good inside her over and over.

His cock is pumping in and out of her, his own pure pleasure plain on his face. A lifetime of programming dropping away in his tranced state, as though he had taken Semuta and was hearing the sweet music. He was feeling the simple, timeless ecstasy, probably for the first time in his life. It strikes her, that without the twist of cunning in his mouth; the narrow calculating eyes; the constant state of awareness of a potential poisoned blade at his back, he was unequivocally beautiful. What a man he would have been, had he been born into a different House. Revered instead of feared. A jewel to be coveted and honored. No doubt, with his natural intelligence, would have already been promised to one of the Emperor's daughters, if not to Princess Irulan herself. His child would be stunning and they would never let him know she existed, lest he twist her.

His face begins to contort in rapture, she can sense his passion rising, his hips speeding up.

{{“Don’t you cum, Feyd.}} He immediately falls back into measured thrusts.

{{”That’s it, fuck me, rub my clit, make me cum on that strong cock,”}} he works her clit between his fingers and his beautiful cock in her cunt.

It is so good, pushing her higher. Then she is seething, her pussy wildly contracting as he keeps plowing into her. Her eyes blink, her mouth hangs open before a throat ripping scream issues forth. She jerks, hips thrashing under him. Her hands are pulling at the restraints she never even thought to make him remove.

The tambor of her scream breaks the hold over him as she cums. He blinks, fingers digging automatically into her hips. He sees his cock in her, sees her writhing. He is unsure what happened in the past few minutes, Has be been fucking her? Did she use her witches powers on him. Surely not, she is still tied up. She would have made him remove those. No, he just got lost in pleasure, too lost. He growls in distaste, he is always under control. His fingers tighten on her thighs and he feels the hard edge of the Pain Box secreted in the folds of her dress. He needs to refocus himself.

He fishes out the box from the fabric, laying it on her belly.

She frowns, panting from her pleasure, not comprehending what he means to do, she won’t use it on herself, she can’t. She remembers her own Gom Jabbar. She vowed never again. Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam was notoriously… thorough with the Box.

She shouldn’t be surprised when he shoves his hand in the Box.

“Do it,” is all he growls.

She shakes her head but uses her mental powers to turn on the pain, just a little.

“Ahhhhh” he tosses his head back like before, his voice box protruding from the front of his throat. His hips move slowly, pushing himself in and out of her. Her blood on the front of his hips spurs him on.

“More,” he moans.

She obliges, her pussy still spasming as he fucks her harder.

As the pain ramps up in the Box he roars, staring right into her face. She is captivated by him. His hips snap hard against her.

{{“Cum Feyd, cum in my quivering slit”}} her pitch is a little less than perfect.

He pounds into her, hard, harder, harder still. Truthfully, she starts to cum on his cock once more, losing her mental grip on the Pain Box.

He yanks his hand out. The Box clatters to the floor. He grabs her by the throat. True fear flashes in her eyes, her orgasm stalled. Without access to the Voice, she is at his nonexistent mercy. His hand is wrapped tight on the sides of her neck, cutting off the blood flow to her brain. How could she have let it get this far? His eyes are dark glittering jewels, staring directly into hers. Her fear is exactly what he wanted, what he needed to push him to the point of no return.

“No hexes from you, filthy pain slut of a witch whore,” he seethes, “you’ll take what I give you, take my magnificent fucking cock you dirty, dirty gorgeous highborn fuck toy.” All the venom from his twisted mind spews from his mouth. He fucks her relentlessly, now pursuing his release with single minded intent.

Her orgasm is laced with fear but builds quickly with the decreased oxygen to her brain. It erupts as he grips harder on her throat. Her whole body shakes under him, her pussy contracting in undulating waves on his thickness.

“Aaarrrrrghhhh! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!” he pushes in impossibly deep, his cockhead erupting agasint her cervix, his seed boiling from him. His eyelids, his arms, his hips; all tremble violently as he unloads, raging into her.

He stares into her pin-point pupils, panting. He won’t say it, but she was magnificent. The best fucking plaything he’d had in a long time.

His grip on her throat is the last to loosen. The blackness playing at the edge of her vision. Quickly, she amps up her oxygen intake to compensate.

He smiles at the dark bruises already blooming on her long, graceful neck.

He climbs off her, making no move to release her bonds. His long cock still half hard, muscled body rippling and shimmering with sweat. Fuck he really was unrivaled in the glory of his body.

He casually picks up the black pile of clothes, not deigning to put them on. He is na-Baron. He will have his slaves dress him. He stands at the foot of the bed, surveying his handiwork: the tight pattern of oval bruises on her thighs, the blood smeared across her legs and pussy, the trail of his cum left by his withdrawal from her slit, the handprint ringing her neck, the red welts on her white skin, the equally red marks on her wrists. God he wanted her again and again, wishing he was in his own chamber, his own instruments of pain and pleasure to hand. He would have made this night last forever.

“Know this, Lady Fenring,” Feyd hisses demonically, “you and your tight witch’s cunt will never be the same. No man will ever match me in your whore pussy. Ever. You’ll be back, begging to be my forever plaything.” He walks to the door, pauses and says over his shoulder. “Oh and keep the belt, as a token of my… esteem. “

He walks out, stark naked, with nary a look back.

He doesn’t see the cunning smile unfold on her face, nor hear the low chuckle in her throat.

Mission accomplished.

#feyd smut #feyd rautha #Feyd Rautha x Lady Margot Fenring #Feyd and Lady Margot #dune part two

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masterqwertster · 9 days

Text

It's wild to see the dynamic between Prime and Betrayer gods when they're nominally on the same side.

The whole part where the Wildmother is like "Why should I stop the Spider Queen from collecting her champion and putting her on the field?" was amazing. The Prime Deities care about mortals, but in this case, it's all hands on deck, please save our asses. Even if the Primes don't approve of the Betrayers' methods (which, debatable given k'nauth and judicators seem to be the same thing with the difference being who they devoted themself into oblivion for), right now, they're going to allow it because the Betrayers are trying to stop the release of Predathos too and whatever works, works.

And Champions are a god's most potent tool in working on the Prime Material Plane, so why would the Wildmother stop the Spider Queen from setting one of her best bets at affecting things into motion when it's for a mutual goal? This is the gods' favoritism at play. Who they will try to protect, who they will ask to make sacrifices, who they will let fall to the fate that individual has chosen.

Opal may not have known what she agreed to in accepting being the Spider Queen's Champion, but she did agree to it. What happens now is the path she chose, even if she didn't know the consequences waiting in that decision. And the other gods aren't going to try to change that path unless Opal is used to interfere with their own goals. It's not their place. And in this case, it's in their interest to let this play out.

#mq blathers #critical role #cr spoilers #c3e92 #cr meta #the wildmother #cr spider queen #exu opal #cr opal #opal

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mskenway97 · 4 months

Note

Tfp merformers a.u Optimus x Reader.

I felt inspired for this one, I wanted to make it an everyday thing, there is a bit of a language barrier. But I thought it was adorable. I choose a human reader

Warning: None

Words: 829

(Merformers) Tfp Optimus Prime x Gn!Human!Reader

Fishing time

Today was not a lucky day for Y/N. The tide was calm on a sunny day, in the boat. A lot of trash had been picked up this week, no fish were in the area.

Y/N was desperate to catch something, otherwise she was going to get kicked out and the boat was not hers. Although fishing wasn't her thing, she just wanted the boat to see her huge sea friend.... None other than a blue, red and white whale.

Literally that whale had saved her life in a storm. He wanted to know more about her without exposing her to danger. Only the mere thought that Y/N would never see her again tore him apart.

-Let's go mince little fish....

Y/N cast the rod with the bait, only to see that it barely moved after a while he saw that something was moving. Y/N saw the opportunity to cast as hard as he could, "I'm going to get lucky" thought Y/N but as he pulled it out.

Another boot.

-Oh come on! I'm already going to wear a shoe store with so many boots! - Y/N said to himself as he cast the rod again.

This time the rod moved faster, Y/N smiled as he cast it looked like it was going to be the good one but he saw that it was too heavy.

-Come on, it's possible... Ah!

Y/N fell into the water because of the force that pulled the rod. He felt huge hands around him and pulled him out of the water.

To see Optimus somewhat surprised.

-Hello big guy! I didn't expect to find you here - Y/N smiling.

Optimus left me in the boat as he made a few small grunts and pointed to my fishing rod.

- Ah, what do I do? Fishing and I'm not doing so good," said Y/N.

Optimus noticed Y/N's face, which was somewhat frustrated and sad. He had told her to fish... Maybe he needed some help, the big guy dove down leaving Y/N confused, thinking maybe he was in a hurry, after a few moments with no luck he saw that Optimus had returned showing something big in his hands.

- Wait... that's a swordfish! -Y/N was startled as the boat wobbled a bit and she remained calm.

Optimus was confused the quality of the swordfish was a splendid specimen, something Y/N would surely help with.

- People would ask me a lot of questions about how I got it....

Optimus released the swordfish and dived again.

A while later he came back with something else. Y/N walked over to see that it was an octopus that had latched onto it.

Optimus was trying to get it off her. After a while he succeeded but Y/N was a little depressed.

- I'm no good at fishing! I wanted to dive and explore? But if I don't... I won't be able to go back - said Y/N as he sat down Optimus' face was in front of it and nuzzle to Y/N.

It was humid, it was nice especially in summer weather, she smiled a little at the gesture, Optimus purred a little.

- I should make it clear with the fish I want.... Look it would be something like this.

Y/N pulled out a log book of the fish in this area, showing Optimus which ones she wanted.

Those fish, most of them had gone to other waters the record was out of date.... At least since photo was still around the area and they were plentiful.

Optimus carefully dragged the boat.

Y/N did not know where Optimus was taking him as he was unfamiliar with this fishing area. It was a little different than what she was used to seeing until it came to a stop. Y/N heard Optimus grunting and pointing to the fishing pole. Y/N didn't have time to answer him as she had already submerged underwater. Y/N didn't know what he was up to but he took the advice to grab the fishing pole and get on with it.

She waited for a while until he saw that he was biting not trash but several fish! She was amazed as she caught a good amount of fish. Until she saw Optimus come out of the water.- This is great, Optimus with these fish! They won't throw me out are the amount I needed! Thank you so much," said Y/N as she jumped right into his hands and hugged one of his fingers.

Optimus on the other hand was happy to help her. He knew the difficulties Y/N was having with the job had, he met her by accident and seeing her go was not something he wanted her to go. Besides being one of the few beings that freaked out when she saw him.The presence comforted him, it was different....

Maybe next time she would take him to give lessons in something else.But at least they both got the big fish.

#sam writes #transformers #transformers prime #optimus prime #tfp #tfp optimus prime #optimus x reader #optimus prime x reader #merformers #maccadam #maccadams #tfp optimus x reader #tfp optimus prime x reader #transformers x reader

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mychlapci · 2 months

Note

Mer Optimus... perhaps being the first mer born in captivity and was originally owned by a prior prime (Zeta, Sentinel, etc), originally owned as like an exotic pet... perhaps that same prime was his sire too.

Optimus looking tangibly different to the other mers and when he comes into the custody of the centre they know there's no way he can be released into the wild and they're def hesitant to even have him with the others. Big sweet ol mer optimus.

But maybe his flashy red and blues are super rare + his size so of course all the other mers are very keen to get into his tanks (and unload in his gestational tank-) and they have to have at least one staff member on watch around OP's tank because there's been SEVERAL incidents of hopeful courtiers getting into a fight to try and stop their rivals from hauling themselves up into his tanks. I feel like it's gonna end up being the most unlikely underdog who manages to slip past and woo Optimus and get him with pups

- bayverse megaop anon

oh, I wonder who’s the underdog that manages to sneak into Optimus’ tank and breed him full of pups… I think Megatron tries far too often to get into Optimus’ tank and claim him as his own, so his tank is now equally as guarded as Optimus’ and he’d barely get a chance to haul himself over… Everyone else who has tried, and even those who’ve managed to sneak into his tank and attempted to initiate mating, were hauled out before Optimus managed to give a response (since he was born in captivity and kept as an exotic pet, he’d probably have a hard time getting the hang of mer mating rituals… his inability to respond to courting advances is probably one of the many reasons no one had managed to breed him yet, and the facility staff want to keep it that way)

Maybe Bumblebee? Sweet, residential Bumblebee. He wasn't born in captivity but he’d spent a long time in the facility, so he’s friendly, speaks cybertronian, and regularly interacts with the staff. No one would expect him to sneak into Optimus’ tank, they thought he wouldn’t be interested, or that he wouldn’t dare, since it’s unlikely he’d survive the dominance battles the facility struggled to contain for so long. But he waited it out, snuck in, and he knew how to get Optimus to respond. He is soon popping out Bee’s yellow little pups, with the tiny mer feeling exceptionally smug about it.

Maybe Megatron does manage to find his way into Optimus’ tank, eventually, bypassing all those silly little land-dwellers who’ve dared to contain him in the first place. He will claim the large, exotic mer for himself, the dominance display he shows truly bloody and violent. Yet, it titillates Optimus’ instincts, and despite his terrified eyes, he ends up bred very thoroughly.

Maybe someone you really wouldn’t expect. Get wild with it.

#valveplug #merformers #pregnancy mention #texty

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onceuponapuffin · 2 months

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My Good Omens Season 3 Predictions

Based on the Amazon Playlist and Established Patterns in S1 and S2

I’ve been listening to the songs on the official playlist that Amazon released in December, and I’ve been thinking about it non-stop. It’s been long enough, and now I feel like I have a solid enough footing to have ideas about season 3 based on the information given to us by the playlist (especially the songs Neil provided). Keep in mind that this is my speculation only. I may be entirely wrong, this post may age poorly, but I am okay with that. At the end of the day, I know for absolute fact that I will be THRILLED with whatever season 3 actually brings (But please – for my sanity – let there be a happy ending for Crowley and Aziraphale).

First of all, we know the season was outlined back in 2005, and I would assume (for the sake of this post if nothing else) that by the time the s3 announcement came, Prime had the general outline. And so, in the spirit of how this show does things, the playlist is full of Clues.

GIF by fuckyeahgoodomens

I’ll put the songs in parenthesis as I go.

Between “Before the Beginning” and “In the Beginning,” i.e. Flashback 1:

We’re going to start the season with Crowley’s Fall (Midnight Rain). Neil has said that he’s not going to ever tell us Starmaker’s name, so I’m not expecting that. But we know that each season starts with a prologue, and we also know that these flashback mirror the current events. Crowley’s Fall makes a lot of sense to start with because it is the first thing that pulls him and Aziraphale apart. And where are we starting from in present day? The Divorce.

How Are Crowley and Aziraphale Doing?

Bad (I’m a Mess). Crowley presents fine to the world, but we, who know him, can see he is struggling. I don’t know if he’ll actually go to therapy, but I would adore it if we got a glimpse of Crowley trying it and being like “NOPE” when it got too hard. He keeps expecting Aziraphale to walk around every corner, and keeps replaying the divorce in his mind (Just My Imagination).

Aziraphale isn’t doing well either. The Kiss, and by extension his last conversation with Crowley plays on his mind all the time (Could’ve Been).

Very soon after the playlist was released, one of my Good Omens friends on Discord (I forget who it was, I am so sorry), suggested that maybe Aziraphale is communicating with Crowley through his dreams. Honestly, I am so on board with this. With the number of songs that mention dreams and daydreams in this playlist, there is no way that Crowley’s dreams and/or imagination won’t play some kind of role in this season (In Dreams, Just My Imagination).

Minisodes

The Titanic

I think the most interesting thing is that we’re going to have at least one minisode about them alone through time. It’s something that we haven’t seen before, and it parallels their current journey.

That being said, I think one of these will be the Titanic (My Heart Will Go On). Here’s how I see it happening:

Crowley is the one on the ship. He’s not there to sink it, he’s just there to enjoy himself. Maybe he plays around with the kids a bit, maybe he makes friends. Point is, the humans have built this supposedly-unsinkable ship of dreams and he just has to see it. He’s there when it sinks. Maybe he even tries to save people or get the other ships to come faster, but he can’t save everyone.

Heartbroken, he returns home to his dark flat. He doesn’t turn on any lights. There are two envelopes waiting for him. He sits at the table to read them in the dark. The first is a commendation from Hell:

“Great job sinking the Titanic! Downstairs are Very Impressed with your work, as always!” He scoffs and tosses it aside. The second one is from Aziraphale.

Oh great, he thinks, Just what I need, a little ‘oh how dare you drown all those people you evil demon you.’ when I’m already feeling like shit. He opens it anyway. The first lines read:

“My Dear Crowley,

I heard that you were aboard the Titanic when it sank. Are you alright?”

Crowley breaks down and cries. ~End Scene~

1941

The playlist has Heart and Soul on it, but not a recent version – it’s specifically one that was recorded in 1939. So we’re almost definitely getting 1941 Part 3.

GIF by mimisempai

We’re going to find out what happened to cause their huge shift in dynamics from Date Night to 1967, and I think it’s a kiss. Maybe a kiss on the cheek? I’m not entirely sure. I do hope they get to slow dance to A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square though.

The Reunion

My friends, it will not go well. This is one of the songs that Neil chose – Cry Me a River. It just reeks of Aziraphale coming back and Crowley being (understandably, and rightly) being bitter towards him. Aziraphale will, eventually, I’m sure, get back in his good books, but he’s gonna need more than an I Was Wrong Dance to do it.

(Actually?) Saving the World

Okay so being perfectly honest, the only reason either of them are the lead characters in this series is because they’re so freaking loveable. They are very bad at their jobs. Anathema, Newt, and Adam saved the world in S1, and although the Husbands gave Adam a little pep-talk, I think he’s smart enough that he could have managed it on his own if he had to.

So, this time they actually need to save the world and have an actual plan. This is where I think a second body swap will happen – hear me out! First of all, remember that no one aside from Gabriel (who is Someone Knows Where), none of the angels or demons have figured out their trick from the first time. So I don’t think it is the plan, but I do think it will be part of the plan. Where am I pulling this idea from? The Show Must Go On, another one of Neil’s choices. It sounds like it’s from Aziraphale’s perspective, but Queen songs are usually associated with Crowley. Seems odd, right? Maybe because it is. Maybe because they swap.

The Book of Life

I think we’re going to see The Book of Life, and I think it’s going to basically be The Book of Love. I think this is where we’re going to get the Main Thesis. The Answer to Life, the Universe, and Everything, if you will. Love. It’s supposed to be Love.

The Book of Love – another of Neil’s choices.

Epilogue

I predict they get their South Downs cottage (Neil said “not yet,” which implies it’s coming). And there’s also a wedding, though I’m not sure whose it will be (The Book of Love). I REALLY hope that it’s Crowley and Aziraphale, because they deserve that kind of happy ending, and Neil is too much of an Ally not to realize how important it is that they get to Live Happily Ever After.

One Last Thought

I still have no idea what to make of I’d Rather Go Blind. That’s it. That’s the last thought I wanted to share that doesn’t really fit in anywhere else.

Thanks for going on this journey with me. Let’s make our Bingo cards and see if I managed to get anything right in 3-4 years.

#good omens #good omens meta #crowley #aziraphale #ineffable husbands #aziracrow #good omens 2 #good omens season 3 #season 3 predictions #season 3 speculation #aziraphale x crowley #good omens fandom #i'll be fine as long as they get their south downs cottage ending #season 3 playlist #playlist analysis

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lovinkiri · 1 month

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So I was watching Hazbin Hotel (which is streaming on prime video) and I was thinking how hilarious it would be if the LOV had a S/O who has a quirk like Nifty (which by the way, is my favorite character in Hazbin hotel😅) she is kindhearted, but there are times that she says messed up shit to freak out the heroes and the LOV love her for it🤣

A Bit Disarming

Author's Thoughts: Had to watch the show, but I love it! And i love Nifty!

Dabi

Dabi truly isn't caught off guard by a lot, he's pretty good at keeping his reactions hidden.

But you truly are something else. You always manage to surprise him by saying the most and sometimes fucked up things.

Like when you're both simply sitting at a bar and you go "That guy looks like someone I once turned inside out"

He's taken aback and looking at you, ever so confused.

"... You did what?"

"Turned someone inside out, can you order me another drink baby?"

Like what the fuck.

He loves you and all your quirkiness but damn, you're so scary sometimes.

I think he'd be pretty good at reigning you in when you get a bit too energetic.

You know, holding you back with an arm around your waist when you're confronting villains.

"Calm down, little one."

"I am calm! Just wanna bite his face off!"

Spinner

He loves you, he swears he loves you so much.

But goddamn, you're a little scary.

He hates driving with you behind the wheel because he has to trust that you won't listen to that dangerous little voice in your head.

He sits in the passenger seat, looking out the window thoughtfully.

"What if I just swerved off the road and killed us? That'd be kinda romantic, dying together, haha!"

He slowly turns to you, staring wide-eyed.

"... Pull over."

"Huh?"

"Pull over, gimme the wheel."

He'd rather deal with your pout than end up upside down off the road, crushing in a metal wreckage.

He's way worse at reigning you in though because he doesn't try at all. Too much work.

He lets you stab and slice and bite, grimacing at the sight.

"That doesn’t look good.."

"You're next, heroes! Wait your turn!"

Mr. Compress

"You should put me in a marble and make someone swallow me, then undo your quirkiness. Think it'd actually work?"

He'd look at you, mouth agape and shocked by the diabolical suggestion.

"... You have problems. I love you, but you have problems."

"So that's a no?"

"I'll think about it."

He did think about it, but not in the way you think. He didn't consider it but the image did keep him up that night.

Whenever you get too out of control, he does put you in a marble, usually when you're doing something dangerous. He doesn't want you to end up hurt, after all.

It is fun to throw your marble at enemies, releasing you in mid-air and watching as you land on them, tearing them apart.

The gore is gross, but he loves seeing you having so much fun ❤️

Then he watches you turn to the heroes with a smile.

"I'm going to eat your friend now!"

He can't help but laugh at the look of horror on their faces.

God, he loves you.

Himiko Toga

She loves how energetic and transparent you are about your craziness!

She falls in love because you're someone she can truly relate to, your energies are so similar.

You guys encourage each other and choose to become everyone's problem.

"Let's kill him!"

"I'll make him bleed lots for you honey!"

"Awe, sweetie, that's so nice! <3"

The league has their hands full with both of you.

You guys are so cute together though,like two excitable puppies.

Just more.. murderous puppies.

The heroes are terrified of you though.

"I'm gonna let lots of your blood for my sweetie!"

Toga giggles at your words.

"Isn't she the sweetest?"

Tomura Shigaraki

He surprisingly adapts to your remarks and behavior very quickly.

Does he find it strange to see you running around the bar, trying to stab the bugs while he's still drinking morning coffee..

But it's fiiiine.

"Give it a break and eat something, Y/n."

"I'm going to tear their legs off their bodies."

"Yes, of course, you are."

He doesn't have to do much to stop you from getting out of control.

With one glance, you're pouting and standing behind him, waiting for the go to hurt someone.

The heroes are intimidated by you, and that definitely amuses Shigaraki.

"Tomura, I'll just tear their limbs off like the bugs back at our base!"

"Sounds good to me."

He grins at the sight of the heroes sweating.

You make him so happy!

Twice

He finds you are adorable, no matter what you're doing.

"Awe, look at her, diving off the counter! You're going to hurt yourself, princess."

"I love the pain!"

"I love your issues!"

He pushes you to be friends with Toga because of your similar personalities.

He likes seeing your face light up while she matches your energy when he can't.

He doesn't try to reign you in either though, why would he stop you from doing what makes you happy?

He loves seeing your smile as you do the most outrageous things.

"I don't like the way that hero is looking at you! I'll just tear her eyes out!"

"Youre such a cutie when your jealous!"

#bnha #mha #my hero academia #boku no hero academia #fluff #bnha twice #mr compress #bnha spinner #tomura shigaraki #dabi bnha #toga himiko

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sunshinebingo · 2 months

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This took me an embarrassingly long time to write but I finally did it. This fic is a gift to @headcanonheadcase who was one of the first writers that made me fall in love with fanfiction. And is also the one who opened my eyes to the wonders of Gwyn/Ithan. @headcanonheadcase dear, what you do for this fandom (and all the others you write for) is incredible. You are amazing!!

CRACKSHIP ALERT

Pairing: Gwyneth Berdara/Ithan Holstrom Synopsis: Ithan remembers the important events in his relationship with his red wolf, Gwyn, from how it started to where they are now. A recollection of little moments that they shared together. Word Count: 5.7k Warning: A tiny bit of smut

Important A/N: I started writing this waaay before hofas was released so this fic does not follow any canon event past HoSaB. It's not a 'hofas canon-divergence', it's just me posting a crackship fanfic after having it in my drafts for half a year.

Read on Ao3 or proceed below the cut for a snippet

Day 8

“I’m Gwyneth. Gwyn. It’s very nice to meet you,” she shook the hand that he had extended to her after introducing himself. Ithan thanked all the Gods above that he had not gaped at her again like a fool. He had been bracing himself for a conversation with her since he caught a glimpse of her bright hair as she was entering the Prime’s office.

“So, you are new here?” he asked as though he had not already secretly asked everyone at the Den for information about her. He had learned that Gwyneth had just arrived in Lunathion with the intention of settling here. Her grandparents were apparently related to the Prime himself. What had struck Ithan the most had been learning that she was a lone wolf, just like he had been before, even if he was now the only wolf in his pack consisting of an angel, some Fae, a mer, a deer shifter and even a dragon and some fire sprites.

“I am. I live near the Old Square, a few blocks away from the White Raven.”

“Really?” he replied a bit too excitedly before clearing his voice and continuing more calmly. “I mean, I live near the Old Square too.”

The smile that spread on her face could have rivaled the sun ahead. “That’s great. Um… maybe we’ll cross path someday. I mean…” she rambled. Was she nervous too? Ithan thought.

“Not that we aren’t already crossing paths at the Den already,” she added with a laugh while indicating the building behind them.

Ithan noticed the way that she was twisting a strand of hair between her fingers and how she could not stand still. She was nervous too. Somehow, that made him a little less tense.

He has admitted to Gwyn, months and months later, that their encounter on that day had not been accidental at all. He had confessed that he might have forsaken more urgent matters to wait until she would leave the Prime’s office. The tongue-lashing he had gotten from his roommates for being late for what they had planned later that day had been totally worth it.

***

Day 10

“Hello there,” a melodious voice drawled behind him. Ithan turned on the stool he was sitting on at the bar of the White Raven to find Gwyn smiling at him.

If he was not already seated, his first look at her would have made him fall on his ass. Gwyn was glowing in a green velvet dress that clung to her and accentuated all the dips and curves of her body. The makeup she had dusted on her eyelids sparkled beneath the flashing lights of the club, making it impossible not to look at her eyes.

“You look…” damn him and his habit of being speechless in her presence. “You are…” he tried and failed again.

Gwyn erupted in laughter at his flustered state. “I think I will take that as a compliment,” she said as she sat on the empty stool beside him.

“Sorry,” Ithan shook his head, “You are stunning.” Phew. See? That wasn’t so hard to say, he thought.

Gwyn’s cheeks started to flush and Ithan was momentarily mesmerised by the way it made her freckles stand out. “Thank you. And you are very handsome as well.”

Ithan was certain that the heat spreading across his face was close to turning him as red as her hair. Gwyn ordered three drinks and turned back to him.

‘’They’re not all for me,’’ she explained when she noticed his raised eyebrows. She pointed at a blond Fae and a brunette angel on the dance floor. ‘’I came with my sisters.’’

His face must have given away his puzzlement concerning her odd family because Gwyn snorted then proceeded to tell him about her chosen sisters.

A drink was placed in front of him. But instead of making his way towards his table where his own found family was, Ithan stayed at the bar, chatting with Gwyn over the loud music. Either her sisters had forgotten about their drinks, or they did not want to cut their conversation short because, as they talked and talked, Gwyn ended up drinking all three cocktails she had ordered while Ithan kept ordering more for himself. He only took note of the time when he turned around at some point and found that all those he had come with were already gone.

That night, Ithan had talked more than he ever had with anyone else in his entire life. He remembers vividly how she had been the only thing on his mind when he was staring at his ceiling before he fell asleep in the early morning. He had a crush on Gwyn. One that went from little to massive in a matter of one training session with the Aux.

***

#Gwynthan #gwyneth berdara #ithan holstrom #gwyn x ithan #acotar #crescent city #crackship #it's mostly fluff #tiny bit of smut #tiny bit of angst

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thebevtles · 6 months

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So, here are my thoughts on Now and Then

Can you believe we just got a Beatles song??? because I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. Ever since last week my expectations of this song were high -I mean it is them either way-, but this was way more incredible than i could have expected.

It is them. I know it sounds stupid to say it, but it feels like them. It's been over 50 years since the four of them made music together and yet this brings me back to them at their prime, with John bringing the lyrics and the soft voice, Paul the musicality and the experimentation, George the wonderful guitar and Ringo always knowing how to adjust perfectly to the rhythm. It's them being them, which might not be a cause of surprise if it weren't for the fact two of them are no longer with us. The fact they managed to pull this off out of pure love and respect for one another, for their legacy as a group, as the biggest of all time, is mind-blowing to me.

I'm amazed at how Paul wanted it to be mostly a John song, and abid to that with so much respect. The fact he only sings to complement John's voice, to add depth and to bring us back to what it felt like to listen to both of them, I love it so much. I am also very much aware of the fact this is John in his 30 something singing it with Paul in his eighties, and it shows: their voices together sound like always but sound like never. You can feel that time has passed for Paul and I love it because it is the essence of now and then.

The backing vocals, the fact they used vocals from the four of them is everything to me. The string arrangements give us the sound of the Beatles in such a unique and wonderful way, you can't help but feel this belonged to a space reserved somewhere between Eleanor Rigby and Because, and it is perfectly placed right there. You can tell everyone involved on it loves and knows the Beatles completely, which is no surprise considering Macca and Giles were the geniuses behind it.

I do have one tiny comment: the production feels very 2023-ish, which is not bad, it just feels a bit too modern, takes me out a bit from the 1960s rhythm that made me fall in love with them in the first place, but I understand times have changed and this also has to sound contemporary, is what they would have loved. I'm just old-fashioned.

I feel John. I feel Paul. I feel George. I feel Ringo. Everything that made them them is present within those four minutes. Everything, including John and Paul's endless intense, complicated and absolutely beautiful love for one another.

This is the most precious and perfect gift and I can't thank Paul and Ringo enough for giving us the chance to live one last release. Never thought I would live to experience with the world a new Beatle song, and I feel it like the biggest treasure.

They remain my everything. And I can't wait for the music video.

Oh, and the fact it's done and Love Me Do starts right after. My heart can't take it.

Anyway, so many things to say, so many things I love. Let me know what you thought!!!

#now and then #the beatles #john lennon #paul mccartney #george harrison #ringo starr #thank you for being my entire life dear fab four #i love you forever #thank you for saving me #anyway #i have so many feelings

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emotionallychargedtowel · 1 year

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Pursuer-distancer roles & attachment style in Utsukushii Kare, Part 1: Hira

Note: As I write this, only the first episode of season 2 has been released. This is based on season 1, episode 1 of season 2, and (sparingly) on translated bits of the novel that I’ve read. There seem to be some issues with the current subtitles so impressions could change as better fansubs come out or if streaming ones are improved. I’m watching the show on Viki so any quoted dialogue is from their subs.

I wrote about pursuer-distancer dynamics in this previous post. Now I’m going to dig deeper into how they play out in Utsukushii Kare. I recommend checking out the more detailed explanation of pursuer and distancer roles in that post, but I’ll give a super concentrated summary now as well.

So, a pursuer-distancer dynamic in a relationship occurs when one person takes on the role of emotionally pursuing while the other takes on the role of emotionally distancing. These roles are deeply interrelated—they rely on each other in order to work. It’s difficult to sit with the fact that we both crave intimacy and fear it/need some degree of independence. But that difficulty can be avoided if one person expresses all the need for closeness in a relationship while the other expresses all the need for independence. Neither of these strategies really work, but they are meant to fail, at least partially. It’s a “careful what you wish for” situation. If pursuers got all of the intimacy they seek, they’d be overloaded, and if distancers got all the space they asked for, they’d be lonely. Hence the part where they rely on one another to work, to help them fail in the ways they need to.

(Screenshot via MDL by ruiLIKK)

In many ways, Hira is the epitome of a pursuer. I think it’s what makes him fit the role of a seme so well despite constantly putting himself in a subservient position and even refusing direct overtures from Kiyoi. Like most pursuers, Hira seems to want closeness with the person he loves but his covert fears of intimacy and need for independence cause him to sabotage his own efforts. What’s less typical are some of the strategies he uses both to seek intimacy and covertly avoid it, as I’ll talk about more below.

Pursuers are often people with a preoccupied (or “anxious”) attachment style. In Attachment in Psychotherapy, David Wallin describes preoccupied patients as people whose formative experiences taught them that the best way to get their needs met was by “mak[ing] their own distress too conspicuous to ignore.” This would make sense for Hira. His parents (portrayed more in the novels than the show) seem to be disengaged most of the time, but they spring into action when they get worried (a prime example is when they take him to see a medical provider about his stutter and buy him an expensive camera). By the time of the main story, he mostly seems to mask his distress so they’ll leave him alone. But at that point, those early experiences have already had their effect.

Hira’s experiences with peers have been uniformly terrible, and they are also a type of formative experience. As I’ve said, it’s commonplace to have a fear of intimacy as well as a desire for it. But Hira’s history with people his own age would definitely worsen his fears of being close to others. At the same time, these same negative experiences and the fears they’ve created have isolated him, making his need for intimacy even more acute. Like I said in my previous post, Hira is intensely ambivalent about intimacy. (So is Kiyoi, but that’ll have to wait for part 2.)

In his discussion of preoccupied attachment, Wallin goes on to say that the making-distress-conspicuous approach to getting needs met renders the preoccupied person “hypervigilant for actual or imagined signs that a relationship partner might be disapproving, withdrawn, or rejecting.” Yep, this is classic Hira.

As much as possible, Hira interprets everything that Kiyoi says or does negatively—as meaning that Kiyoi doesn’t love him, won’t stay with him, won’t meet his needs, and could never approve of him. If necessary, he’ll create a reason for concern out of nothing.

When you see Kiyoi making this face and his hair starts billowing in a mysterious breeze, you’re inside Hira’s mind witnessing a complete fabrication. (Screenshot via MDL by doramasaurusrex)

At the same time, Hira definitely pursues Kiyoi. His relentless staring communicates his interest. He takes every opportunity to be around Kiyoi. When he gets to communicate with Kiyoi privately, he’s all compliments and reverence. His willingness to do whatever it takes to be near Kiyoi, even behave like a servant, is also a form of pursuit. But, like all pursuers, he has built-in safeguards against accidentally getting (too much of) the intimacy he wants but also fears:

First, he chose a seemingly unattainable object. When Hira first fell for Kiyoi, he wasn’t aware of all the reasons Kiyoi might actually be capable of returning his feelings. Even setting aside his negative bias, he had every rational reason to believe that Kiyoi was unlikely to ever love him back.

By the time it turns out that Kiyoi may not be completely out of his reach, Hira has had a chance to observe his distancing tendencies. Just choosing a distancer as a potential partner is a way of decreasing the risk that you’ll get more than you bargained for by pursuing them.

Next, when Kiyoi builds a kind of friendship with him and even kisses him on graduation day, he changes his phone number. Perhaps he really is unaware that he can replace his submerged phone without changing his number. But personally, I really wonder if a part of him did this intentionally. At the very least, he could still have asked about keeping his number or tried to contact Kiyoi to give him the new one. He had real reason to hope Kiyoi might like him back (if nothing else, the kiss!) and whether by neglect or (on some level) intentionally, he made further contact impossible.

The most pervasive and destructive way that Hira sabotages his own efforts at intimacy with Kiyoi is through his distorted thoughts, including the biased interpretations and pure fabrications I mentioned above. He creates a narrative that says that:

Kiyoi is permanently superior to him, rendering him permanently out of reach

To whatever extent he does attain intimacy with Kiyoi, or even seek it, this is a kind of crime against nature (“touching a god”) that will undoubtedly cause some kind of unstoppable cosmic misfortune as a punishment,

Relatedly, any intimacy with Kiyoi can only be temporary.

This last factor leads me to one other thing I should mention. I was thinking about how I’d conceptualize Hira’s personality. I looked at my favorite book on the subject, Nancy McWilliams’s Psychoanalytic Diagnosis. I felt like I should check out the chapter on self-defeating/masochistic personality (note: not related to masochistic sexual practices!) but was reminded that people of that type are typically more resentful of what they see as undeserved suffering. Hira, on the other hand, perceives himself as completely deserving to suffer. So I looked at the chapter on depressive personality. The main defense depressive personalities use, McWilliams writes, is introjection: turning any hostile feelings inward toward the self. Much more like Hira. This is totally consistent with his pervasive sense of doom, hopelessness about improving his lot in life, and inability to take in positive comments about himself.

Of course, despite his self-sabotage, Hira does actually want to be close to Kiyoi. And he achieves that, in some ways. Pursuers do want intimacy, as their self-presentation suggests, they just tend to create conditions that decrease the chances they will get as much of it as they claim to want. So Hira sabotages his chances of getting his needs met. And every time he does get close to Kiyoi, he feels like he is adding to his list of crimes or the amount of suffering he’ll have to go through later to make up for any joy he feels. It’s like a form of emotional avoidance that dovetails with his behavioral avoidance.

Take, for example, his thoughts (delivered in voiceover) while on his outing with Kiyoi in S2E1. “They say the amount of happiness one feels is predetermined. In that case I may have only misfortune in my future. Kiyoi might dump me. Kiyoi might hate me. Kiyoi might die before me. What should I do then?” I don’t know who “they” are supposed to be here, but this is not an idea I’ve ever encountered in any culture or religion, except maybe Calvinism or something. It seems like Hira has just seized on a somewhat random idea, but this idea feels true because of his self-defeating narrative. It comes as no surprise, then, that when Hira starts ruminating about these possible future misfortunes, he stops himself from experiencing closeness with Kiyoi in that moment—which does not go unnoticed by Kiyoi. “Don’t live in your own world,” he tells Hira. “We’re hanging out in this one.” It barely seems to register with Hira that Kiyoi looks irritated and hurt. Clearly, Hira’s distractibility and negativity when he’s trying to enjoy his company is painful to him. And again, he has managed not only to detract from his enjoyment of the closeness he has with Kiyoi, but also to sabotage the potential for closeness in the interaction he’s having with Kiyoi in the present.

(Screenshot via MDL by ruiLIKK)

It’s worth noting that a related kind of distorted perception seems to affect Hira in other situations where people are showing an interest in him romantically and/or sexually. Take his interaction with that model at the party in S2E1 for example. He’s extremely gullible when he believes her claim that the other attendees are angry with him and think he’s rude. And though he registers that she’s getting close to him and touching him in a way that makes him uncomfortable, he doesn’t seem to understand that she’s putting the moves on him or that she’s interested in him. He’s beyond surprised when Kiyoi shows him the piece of paper with her phone number that she slipped into his pocket.

Watching that scene, I asked myself if I had just failed to notice before that Hira had a profound lack of social awareness. But then I thought about where this had come up and where it hadn’t. Hira shows social awareness in other situations, like when he observes what goes on between the students in Shirota’s circle in high school. It seems he’s only this clueless when it comes to admitting others might like him. The same happened with Koyama, when Hira seemed unaware that they were on a date. Hira does lack social skills in a lot of ways, but his awareness isn’t that bad except in this area. The main issue seems to be that anyone being attracted to or interested in him is classified as “impossible.” This is how, in S1E6, he not only turned down Kiyoi offering to date him but managed not to remember it ever happened.

That’s it for now on Hira’s side of the equation. I have part 2, on Kiyoi, almost ready to post as well, so that should be up pretty soon. Edited to add: I forgot to include another side of Hira’s pursuing role in his relationship with Kiyoi: pursuing sexual intimacy specifically. We get new information about this aspect of Hira and Kiyoi’s relationship in S2E1 in a couple of scenes. In the opening scene, once Kiyoi is awake, Hira asks if he’s angry with him for being “too persistent” the previous day. We don’t know for certain what this persistence was about, but their mutual shyness about it and Hira’s reference to it being caused by Kiyoi’s cuteness suggest that he was hitting on Kiyoi. We don’t know the outcome of it, though. The other moment happens when, after the incident with the model stirs up Kiyoi’s possessiveness, he (bashfully) announces that he and Hira are going to “do it” that day (resulting in a huge grin from a surprised Hira). It’s interesting—and simultaneously endearing and strange—that on the one hand, he can just decide this for the two of them (assumably because Hira always jumps at the chance), which gives him an air of imperiousness, but on the other, that he’s so uncharacteristically shy about it. Both of these scenes are very consistent with Hira’s role as a pursuer. He seems less ambivalent about this type of closeness than others, but he also seems to respect for Kiyoi’s boundaries (”persistence” notwithstanding). Basically, he seems to be on board with being the one petitioning for sexual contact while Kiyoi acts as more of a gatekeeper.

#BL drama #psychology of BL #utsukushii kare #utsukushii kare 2 #utsukushii kare season 2 #utsukare #hira x kiyoi #hira kazunari #pursuer distancer dynamic #attachment theory #preoccupied attachment #family systems theory

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satirates · 1 month

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I decided to watch Ninjago from the beginning again since it's being a while. Some of these episodes I haven't watched since 2012, but most of them I haven't watched since 2019 when I had my big Ninjago phase. Here's my thought on each season's from what I remember (I'm curious to see how it will change): Season 1: Good season with good characters. The final was PHENOMENAL and I watched it, like, 20 times. Baby me absolutely loved Zane and Hated Lloyd for some reason (I think it's because he was a brat) 9/10 Season 2 : I was not a big fan of the first couple of episodes or the city setting, but I again loved the final. It was so awesome! Still hated Lloyd for no reason, even has a teenager. 7/10

Season 3 (Rebooted): I strongly disliked that season, but for an excellent reason. I waited so long for season 3 that I couldn't wait any longer to watch it when it's release... in English... A language I didn't speak at the time. So my entire season 3 experience was trying and failing to understand the plot of a very confusing scenario that ended in my favourite character dying. I must tell that I wasn't a fan at the time, lol. 2/10

Season 4( ToE): I did wait for the French dub to watch season 4 and 5 so at least I could understand what's happening. I really liked season 4. Discovering new elemental masters was really fun, and they really nailed the tournament aspect of it all. 8/10

Season 5 (Possession): I didn't like this season when I watched it in 2015, but I loved it when I rewatched it in 2019. I think it's because I don't like scary things, so the ghost theming was too spooky for me when I was a baby. Strangely enough, this is the season that made me like Lloyd. I just needed him to be menacing, apparently. 9/10

Season 6 (Skybound): First season I watched in 2019 after giving up on Ninjago mid-possession in 2015. I knew at the time it was a very controversial season, but I LOVED it. It was my favourite so far. Not only did this season had very high stake, the Djin was also a very interesting villain. 10/10

Season 7 (HoT) : I'm not going to lie, I barely remember anything about the Hands of times other than it being focus on Kai and Nya and their parents. I don't remember disliking it, but it was clearly not my favourite. I don't remember/10

Season 8 (SoG): I'm going to say the same things for every season of this trilogy: I loved it! I liked the new design a lot, the animation looked amazing, and the scenario was the best we ever had. This was so cool. 10/10

Season 9 (Hunted): Same has the precedent season, but even better! Definitely the best season from what I could remember. I still own so many Lego sets from this era of Ninjago haha. 12/10

Season 10 (MotO) : I don't dislike this season, but it felt too short. I was really disappointed to see how the stake rise in the last episode without the emotions really landing that well. A miss in my opinion. But that final with the tornado of creation ? Fire! 6/10

Season 11 ( SFS) : I have weird feelings about this one. I do like what they did with the 11 minutes format in some cases (especially in the more humorous episodes), but it also felt like it prevent the episodes from reaching their true potential (haha). Everything has to start and end way too fast. I did like the Fire and Ice theming and both Asphera and the forgotten realm. If entertaining, this season was a bit underwhelming. 7/10

Season 12 (Prime Empire): Same critiques for the 11min format with this season (and onward). But I did like this one way more! The video game theme was really well-made and discovering the universe was really the selling point of season 12 for me. My biggest problem with it was that they just copied the scenario of Skybound which wasn't really original. 8/10

Season 13 ( MotM) : A Cole season! Yeah! This is the last season I remember really liking . The setting and scenario were fascinating, but a bit too simple for my taste. I think I was just happy to see my boy get a season to himself after 10 years . 7/10

Season 14 (The Island) : I don't really remember anything about this one. It was okay, I guess? It was just a really weird release. 5/10

Season 15 (Seabound: I officially dropped Ninjago after the first 10 episodes of Seabound or so. Not necessary because they were boring, but I wasn't invested in Ninjago anymore. I know Nya became the ocean since I was spoiled, but I need to watch this season to make my own decisions about it. 6/10

Season 16 (Crystallize): Haven't watched it, but oh boy did I heard bad things about it. This is on my list of new content to consume for a while now, so I need to watch it sooner than later. One day I will know/10

So yeah, wish me good luck! I hope I don't end up disliking things I loved as a baby, that would suck.

#ninjago #Time to watch ninjago!#again #boy it's been a while #But I need to do something waiting for DR season 2 or I will explode

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destiny-smasher · 4 months

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Stuff From 2023!

List of things of note I experienced in 2023! A few things didn't technically release in 2023, I'm sure, but yea. Will contain my 'Top 10 Games I Played in 2023' as well.

Firstly, something I played a lot of this year in bursts but doesn't quite crack my Top 10 is Vampire Survivors. Very addicting, did some very fun goofy shit that had me laughing and engaged in a lizard brain way. Appreciated the many Castlevania references and jokes, too.

A couple of games I played every weekend for a few hours across many weeks this year were Project Zomboid and Roots of Pacha, both in a group 4. We had lots of fun with those two, and I think they're both great co-op time-sink games. Zomboid is a zombie survival sim that has way more attention to detail than its graphics may imply. It's still in early access but the depth to its is honestly pretty dang impressive. Pacha iterates on the Stardew Valley formula in a ton of small but deliberate, thoughtful ways that make for a nice twist on that Harvest Moon style game.

REMAKES

There were so many great remakes this year, on top of just amazing games in general, I can't fit them all into my Top 10. So here's a segment dedicated to most of the remakes I loved this year.

The remake of Super Mario RPG was such a surprise, and turned out very damn well. That game, turns out, is very near and dear to my heart and I did not fully appreciate that until this remake was revealed. It comes just shy of cracking my Top 10 list and that's honestly only because I finished Mother 3 finally right at the tail end of the year. This game manages to still feel weirdly fresh even today just due to how fucking strange it is, and the remake speeds up the pacing a bit while also adding in some new mechanics and a chunk of new post-game content. Everything was handled so well. This is like the new gold standard of complete one-to-one remakes of sprite-based games imo. I will admit the artstyle is a bit 'off' in some ways but I think it's very clean looking and captures that 90's CGI spirit really well, all things considered. And the music, OOF, so damn good.

The remake of Dead Space I don't have much to talk about, but it's very well produced. It's remade so well, in fact, that it felt like my memories of the original, even though I know it's not an exact recreation. Very well done and still holds up as a great horror action game with these improvements.

The remaster of Metroid Prime is so impressive it feels like a remake, even if the game is identical to the original aside from presentation and some control changes. It's an iconic classic, and yet I have no patience to do the Chozo Artifact stuff, so I actually did not roll credits on this version BUT still thoroughly enjoyed reliving the game with a very nice new coat of paint. It makes me excited to see what Prime 4 will look like on, I expect, more powerful hardware.

SHOWS/MOVIES

The year started strong with a TV adaptation of The Last of Us. While I've come to have conflicted feelings with the franchise at large, mainly due to its leading boss man, I thoroughly enjoyed the first season of this series. Very well done adaptation that picked and chose what to keep and what to change and honestly makes for a better story as a whole if you ask me, while not really replacing the game's tactile interactive tensions. Cannot wait to see what they do with Part 2 tbqh. I loved that game more than the original but also felt it was worse as an overall game/experience/narrative. But a fresh take on that same plot could potentially address a lot of the issues I had with Part 2, while simultaneously not really 'replacing' it, either.

The Bear. If you haven't seen it, it's just. Very good television. Two seasons in and it's sitting up there chasing Mr. Robot and Better Call Saul as one of the best live action series I've ever seen. Season 2 did such a great job of giving us deeper dives on the various characters and building toward an organic and rewarding conclusion that still leaves room for another season to theoretically wrap things up. Nothing too crazy with this show, it's super down to earth, and it owns that very well with editing and pacing that varies per episode, kind of in line with the different character perspectives.

Super Mario Bros.: The Movie had me worried for a while, mainly due to the animation studio and casting. And while I'm still not 100% sold on this celebrity casting, I will admit it didn't weight the experience down -- even if it's still the second weakest element by far. The weakest element is the writing. It's not, like, offense -- it's loyal to the source material and works, it functions. But it's not doing anything beyond pushing us from set piece to set piece. If anything, the movie is a bit too short for all of the stuff it's cramming in. But on the upside, there is a lot of amazingly rendered visuals and music to take in. A real treat for fans of the franchise, and the most loyal gaming adaptation in movie form, I would say.

Across the Spiderverse is in essence the first half of a two part film. That makes it kind of difficult to talk about, especially when it's also a sequel, and the production sounds like it was marred with bad management and crunch. But the results they came up with actually met my hopes and expectations for a sequel, and that is saying something, as I had very high expectations. I completely adore this film's stupendous sense of style, editing, framing, writing, and the way it's making meta-commentary on multiple levels on top of just being an effective narrative on its own. This is animated storytelling running at full capacity in my opinion, and in general just film doing all of the kinds of things film can do. So it's no wonder that there's still a rub -- this is the first half of the story they planned. The editing, animation, framing, effects, acting, action sequences, music, writing, theming, just Farore's sake, this is SUCH a damn banger of a film and one of the best movies I've ever seen, which, again, is kind of insane given the circumstances. I can only hope they don't fuck up the conclusion.

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off was quite the surprise announcement, and as it turns out, quite the surprise adaptation. I won't spoil much but I will say that by the end of the first episode, it becomes very apparent that this series is no mere by-the-books adaptation, and does something unique and edifying, even if it still maintains a certain surface-level depth I wish the franchise would push beyond. Either way, I enjoyed it way more than I expected to going in, and I think it makes for a great companion to the rest of the series. The animation style was super fun, as well, with some great action sequences.

But Blue Eye Samurai sucker-punched me, having released before I'd even known about it. This show is something else, something unlike any other animated show I've seen besides Arcane. And it's not like it's mimicking Arcane, it's just the closest I can think to compare it to: a quality, thoughtfully framed, thoughtfully written, made-for-adults animated series. It tows the line between fantasy and realism in a refreshing way, its protagonist is great, its cast is compelling, its plot goes to some neat places, and things just feel very well thought-out and well-executed. Slap this in second place behind Arcane as the TV series I am the most excited to see more of in the future, just ahead of The Bear.

Something I did near the end of the year was watch The Hunger Games movies, back to back over the course of like, a week. Have not read the books but man, watching these sure made me interested in doing so at some point. I totally get why people were so enamored with this franchise, and honestly, I think its themes and messages are more relevant now than they were when this franchise was at the peak of its popularity. The films certainly have glaring issues for my tastes but yea, I managed to really enjoy them as a whole despite my lack of mainstream sensibilities. Looking forward to reading the books eventually.

Another thing my wife shared with me was 花ざかりの君たちへ (often called 'Hana-Kimi' for short). Specifically, the 2007 version, as, uh, apparently there are multiple adaptations of this. It was a live action Japanese drama about a high schooler who was born female but transfers into an all-boys school, identifying as a boy while she is there. There's more to it than that, and I won't say it handles everything the best (it's from the mid 2000's) or concludes things in quite the way I'd have preferred. Not to mention it's kind of weird seeing many tropes I'm used to seeing in anime rendered by physical, real actors. BUT it was overall a really sweet, adorable, funny, heartfelt, and reached for pro-queer expression in a time and place when that wasn't mainstream yet (and honestly kinda still isn't depending on who you ask).

Good Omens Season 3 also dropped this year. I actually don't have much to say partly because I think a big element of it is just not knowing what to expect going into it! But it was also very good, very fun, pretty damn gay, I really enjoyed it and am crossing my fingers hard they get to wrap it up the way they want.

All right! Onto my personal top 10 GOTYs.

TOP 11 GAMES

(I played and finished in 2023)

11) Mother 3

The one entry on this list that did not actually come out this year -- in fact, it's never technically released outside of Japan. Originally release in 2007 on the Game Boy Advance, this quirky RPG has developed quite the reputation. I started playing the fan translation back in like 2020, and only got around to finally finishing it this year. While that likely did tarnish the experience a bit for me, so does the final third or so -- it kind of drags on a bit, and any old school format RPG that requires grinding to progress can become a bit of a chore.

Thankfully, Mother 3 did earn its hallowed reputation in my eyes now that I have experienced it. I totally get the passion for this game now, and I am a convert. It makes me want to finally finish Mother 2, aka Earthbound. But here's the biggest thing about Mother 3 I weirdly did not expect going in, yet smashed my face in like a hammer by the time I finished it:

without Mother 3, there is no way Undertale/deltarune would exist.

The DNA for Toby Fox's works is achingly obvious in its relation to this game, specifically. I won't spoil anything and I won't go into my long list of evidence like an Ace Attorney case, but trust me, there is ample evidence to make this claim.

And that also means that Mother 3 stands on its own merits as doing things that RPGs just plain were not doing in 2007, and in some ways still aren't today. Aside from some pacing issues further in, the characters in your party aren't as developed as much as I'd like. BUT the overall narrative it tells, especially in those opening chapters, have a rare kind of earnest, human magic to them that most games just don't let themselves fall into. And it concludes in ways I did not expect and yet offered clarity as to why it is so beloved, and how Toby Fox was so inspired to put his own mark on the gaming landscape.

I owe a great deal to Undertale, personally, and as such, I also owe a great deal to Mother 3. You don't need to have played others in the series to enjoy it, you'll just be missing some referential stuff here and there. It's quite playable and unique by today's standards and I strongly recommend it if you want an RPG that is heartfelt, funny, fun mechanically, and has some simple but hard-hitting things to say about the world we live in, and what we are doing to ourselves and that world.

10) Super Mario Bros. Wonder

What can be said that hasn't been said already? Nintendo knocked it out the park with this one. This was everything I've wanted in a 2D Mario for like 15 years. The only thing 'missing' from it is playable Rosalina, but hey, we finally got Daisy in a mainline Mario game, so I'll take it. After a decade or so of dragging their feet with low-effort but enjoyable 2D games, Super Mario Wonder finally, at long last, captures what makes Nintendo games great and with their best foot forward. They haven't done 2D Mario this well since World on the SNES in 1991. And they have never put this level of production into a 2D game since... ever?

This is one of the all-time best 2D platformers out there, and for once it finally feels like 2D Mario is running on all cylinders as a big budget passion project kind of game. You love to see it.

9) Scarlet Hollow

This game isn't technically finished yet, as it is episodic, and its developers wanted to release Slay the Princess in the interim, but that doesn't stop its quality from being good enough to make my list. This game is doing the kinds of things visual novels should be doing, the kinds of things I wish to do in a sense with my own visual novel development.

It's a horror themed experience but balances the high tension with actual real stakes very well against mostly down-to-earth conversations, with lots of great tricks and touches of presentation you don't typically see in indie visual novels, along with a fantastic art style, charming characters (my favorite character has turned out to be the one I immediately disliked at first, and that's rare for me), and meaningful choices.

I can't wait to see how this one wraps up but even as it stands it's one of the best things I experienced in 2023.

8) Xenoblade Chronicles: Future Redeemed

I will admit I skipped Xenoblade Chronicles 2 after giving it an honest go in like, 2019 or so. A few hours in and i couldn't stomach it, the tonal whiplash from Xenoblade 1 (one of the best RPGs I've ever played) was too much for me. But then Xenoblade 3 came out last year, and is also one of the best RPGs I've ever played, even better than the original for my tastes.

But I wasn't prepared for the DLC to drop a whole ass side-game on us, a self-contained prequel to 3 that serves as narrative cohesion to tie the whole trilogy together with a bow on top, complete with perfectly tuned fanservice (and not the sexy kind, although grown-up Rex and Shulk, well, yes) that really respects its fanbase for investing hundreds of hours in this franchise.

Matthew is easily one of my all-time fav RPG main characters, probably the favorite RPG main character when I think of it (as main characters specifically go, anyway), and his game is a fraction of the length of many RPGs out there. But as usual, the entire cast had their charms, the story was nicely paced, the gameplay and overall length was just about damn perfect for what I could want from the genre.

As an expansion to a pre-existing game, this is one of the top 3 best expansions/DLCs I've ever played. When taken as a side story to an overarching trilogy, I'm not even 100% in on the lore and I still enjoyed the hell out of it, it's just the kind of thing that hits a tone of 'damn, video games are a fucking unique medium that we can do specific narrative things with across years of telling a story.'

I don't know where Monolith Soft is going next, though the ending certainly offers some intriguing teasing, but I suspect I will be there day one to see it, and am looking forward to it.

7) Pikmin 4

Given the long wait (10 years!) one might understand fan concern over the state of Pikmin 4. Turns out, that extra time was spent making this game fucking good. It's not the largest, most impressive, most complex, most inspiring, most 'anything' game I played this year, and yet I can't help saying that this is a damned good video game. It really nailed what it set out to do as a sequel, incorporating just the right ideas to spice up the formula while bringing things back to how Pikmin 2 was, and improving on the series in basically every way -- including stuff to do!

This is easily the most Pikmin game... in a Pikmin game. I still haven't 100%'d it. Without giving away any details, I'll just say that when a game rolls credits and you're only like, halfway through its content, and it just keeps going, that's just kind of wild. It would've felt like a great game even then, but the breadth and depth it ends up going to in order to keep giving you ways to engage with its wonderfully detailed world and addictive mechanics, I love it.

I just want more of it. Give me DLC with more Dandori content, the formula and feel just works so well at this point.

6) Sea of Stars

How the hell I forgot to include this one on my list initially is boggling. Easily one of the best indie games I've ever experienced. The writing is nothing to, well, write home about, but it's not bad. And in fact the story has a lot of great things going on, from an interesting world to a very potent arc with the leading support character (who, let's face it, is kind of more the main character than your two main characters).

The game's art and music are phenomenal, capturing the essence of 90's era RPGs but clearly doing things not capable back then. Made even sweeter, the game is a prequel to the studio's prior work, The Messenger, which I also played and adored in tandem, kind of going back and forth between the two once I was partway into Sea of Stars. The way this RPG repurposes songs from Messenger as well as all kinds of seemingly superfluous elements but makes it feel cohesive is pretty great.

The game also trims a lot of the fat you'd find in older RPGs, as well as lets you customize your experience in a modern way using collectibles you can toggle on and off to grant all kinds of effects, like increasing or decreasing the difficulty in various ways.

The homage paid to classics like Chrono Trigger and Super Mario RPG is clear but it's not at all copy-cat-ing, instead wearing those inspirations proudly on its sleeves and forging its own path with its own ideas. A fantastic collection of party members, a wonderful world, amazing presentation, and environments and pacing that help it stand apart from the genre that inspired it. I wish we got to know the leads better, there is a lack of character growth in many ways, but that's me grasping at straws to critique, it's just a fantastic experience and the studio should be very proud of what they've accomplished.

5) Hi-Fi Rush

This is gonna be a running trend from here on out, but on any other year, Hi-Fi Rush would've been my GOTY, easy. From this point on, we're talking measures of inches rather than miles in terms of my love for these games.

Hi-Fi Rush finally delivered on something I have waited like 20 years for: a rhythm action adventure where playing the game in sync with the music felt fucking cool and gave me emotional resonance in a way only this medium can. The humor was charmng. The visual aesthetic is almost peak 'my taste.' The music was groovy with a few tracks I did not see coming but loved seeing how they were incorporated. The story was surprisingly fun! The characters were fantastic, I loved the entire main crew in a way I rarely ever do and would jump at the chance to spend more time with (and hey, there's a whole bunch of post-game I have yet to do, so I intend to in 2024).

The only real thing I could reasonably ask for from this game is a way to play as those other party members in post-game content or new-game plus or something. And who knows, maybe we get that some day. Even if we don't, what they came up with here is the next best thing besides. And what we got is one the most video-gamey video games I have ever played, a real classic and one I think will go down as one of my all-time favs. A passion project given meaningful time, budget, and creatives to bring it to life.

Had this game offered multiple playable characters, a bit more development in its story, and maybe a stronger climax, it'd be higher. I still love it to death and want more games like it regardless.

Hi-Fi Rush is exactly what kind of game we could have gotten more of if the Internet hadn't pushed gaming into a 'live service' direction. It is literally the spirit of a PS2/GameCube game given modern form. And either way, we did get it, at least, in that form, and it fucking rocks.

4) Resident Evil 4 (Remake)

This year was big for remakes and remasters, but one stands tall above the rest, if you ask me. The original RE4 has stood as my fav in the franchise, the one that got me into the franchise, the one that got me into M-rated games in the first place. Lots of nostalgia, but it's held up surprisingly well over the years despite some limitations of the time (mainly the controls) and some older-fashioned sensibilities ("with ballistics, too~").

But Capcom fucking nailed it with this reimagining. Like Final Fantasy VII: Remake, this game is not a remaster, or a one-to-one recreation. It is a brand new game, built from the ground up, reimagining the original entirely, complete with new mechanics and story. But unlike with FF7, this is also shockingly authentic and loyal to the original at the same time. It remixes elements from the original game, maintains most of the original's map design, adds in new stuff, removes some of the more goofy shit -- and even 90% of what feels 'removed' is revealed to be repurposed for the Ada side story DLC.

It looks great, it sounds great, the adjustments to characters and story are improvements across the board, (except for Hunnigan, RIP) the gameplay is improved in intensity and feel and action and replayability. And yet despite all of this, it balances that campy tone of the original just enough to still evoke what I loved about the original's tone. And it doesn't outright replace the original game, either. The two are now like different recipes of the same sandwich or something. There's reasons to revisit the original, though for me this has now replaced the remake of RE2 as my fav in the franchise.

I really don't know where they go from here but I will look forward to it, and regardless, they fucking nailed this one.

3) Street Fighter 6

Two Capcom games, back-to-back? They had a fucking good year in my eyes. The interesting thing about this particular entry is that unlike the others on this list, I will be continuing to play this one for hours and hours into 2024, especially with more fighters still planned. And in another year, this would've easily been my GOTY.

After all, Street Fighter 6 is the single-best traditional fighting game I think I've ever played. And while fighting games are my overall personal favorite genre, I'm more of a Smash player who also loves the hell out of Street Fighter and then dabbles in Tekken and whatever else releases. Street Fighter has always been one of my go-to top multiplayer games since I got into the franchise with SF4 in 2010. While I did enjoy SF5 well enough, it just didn't keep me hungry to come back for more like 4 did. SF6 has fixed that problem by way of a multitude of changes.

It has easily the most fun single player mode I've seen any fighting game have. Like, yea, The Subspace Emmisary (and even then, I don't love that mode like other folks do, I kinda think it's... fine?) but tbqh World Tour is just better in most every way. You get to build your own fighter, earn and mix and match different costumes and individual character special moves with each fighter's fight style. You get to just hang out with the SF characters, get to know them as people, their hobbies, their fears, their insecurities, their passions besides just beating the shit out of each other. On top of this, the realistic art style shift (a by-product of the RE Engine) seals the deal on what Street Fighter 6 is aiming to do: humanize its cast.

Is it still wacky as fuck? Is it still comical and weird and goofy? Hell yes, it is. Is the story mode deep in its narrative? Not in the slightest. But it's still stepping confidently in a direction fighting games should be trying to, not being too self-serious, but also being earnest.

And I haven't even touched on the mechanics! The Drive System alone is a brilliant addition that adds a sort of 'stamina' system that works so well to add an extra layer of decision making and tension. The game's not perfectly balance imo but for how much is here it is surprisingly damn well balanced, especially given they have insisted on not pushing out a single balance patch since it launched in June. For most any other competitive game, that would be like suicide for the scene, but the game seems to be thriving and selling extremely well for the franchise. And it's earned it.

I will absolutely be continuing my warrior's journey into 2024 and I can't wait to see what else Capcom has in store for this game.

2) Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Out of every game I played in 2023, Tears of the Kingdom is easily the most technically impressive. From a design standpoint, from a 'how in the hell is the Switch doing all of this without exploding' standpoint. From a 'holy hell how is there this much stuff in a single player game' standpoint. From a 'oh my goddesses that stupid batshit idea I had 100% worked because it actually did make sense' standpoint.

Where Breath of the Wild opened our minds as to what an open world game could be -- fully designed like one giant interconnected 'level' -- Tears of the Kingdom replied in much the way I expected: it pulled a Super Mario Galaxy 2. What I mean by that is that this is a direct sequel, building directly off the foundation of the original. You know. Like video game sequels almost always used to. And which many very successful ones still absolutely do.

But Tears of the Kingdom somehow managed to wow me all over again by adding to that open world's verticality in insane ways -- the Depths alone are probably my favorite 'mechanic' from any Zelda game ever besides the time loop of Majora's Mask (and what that did for the story and gameplay). But beyond the scale of the world basically doubling and then some (floating islands and caves on top of Depths), I was curious how this game could stand tall after Elden Ring, which is easily in my top 10 favorite games of all time at this point. Elden Ring was Fromsoft's reply to BOTW. And yet Tears of the Kingdom still managed to have something new to say in spite of that very strong reply.

Tears of the Kingdom opened the door to let players essentially create their own mechanics. By removing the abilities Link had to engage with the world before, and replacing them with a brand new toolset that includes abilities you just... don't see games give you, because they'd be 'overpowered,' TOTK designs its massive world in ways that invite you to use those 'overpowered' abilities however you see fit.

Being able to interact with the world and objects in this way, being able to fuse them together to create all kinds of effects, or new methods of transportation, even interacting with things not just spacially but in respect to time, it's nuts and fun and I've already poured like 130 hours with still so much I haven't done. And that's the thing: this game wasn't designed to be 100%'d. It was designed to just... be experienced, as much or as little as you want. And games on this level of scale/budget just do not have the guts to let so, so much 'content' be missed out on. And this game does.

It's a technical achievement and while I had my doubts with how strangely little Nintendo had to show, I am very glad that the experience itself manages to breathe new life into one of my all-time favorite games while improving on it in so many ways. It won't convert you if you didn't love the original -- this is a Super Mario Galaxy 2 style sequel, after all. But it's essentially replaced the original in ways I didn't think would be possible.

The story? Oof. Uh, not so much the story, let's ignore that part. That's what Nintendo wants you to usually do, anyway. But everything else, just. Din-damn.

It expands upon the first game's already fairly open-ended nature in an exponential way that I suspect developers will spend years to come trying to pin down, much like how they've spend the past 6 or 7 years trying to replicate BOTW's open world design.

For much of this year, I thought this was personal GOTY. And for many it will be, because it's just an extremely impressive video game.

Number 1...?

Going into this list, I kept telling myself, 'man, on any other year, this would be my GOTY. And if you know me personally you likely have already figured out what my GOTY is by omission. But the more I've thought about it, the more I've realized just how close these top 5 games are, it really is like centimeters instead of inches, and they each -- well, every game I've mentioned here, beyond the Top 10, as well -- offered something edifying that I was very satisfied with.

And no, it's not Baldur's Gate 3. While I have spent hours playing it in co-op and a little bit solo, that game's just not really for me, exactly. Like, I can enjoy it, and I have massive respect for the dev team and what they accomplished with it. But I don't much care for D&D, and the game just didn't do very much for me personally, I lack the motivation to finish it. Remove Karlach from the game and I have next to nothing to really attach myself to, personally. I definitely get why it's many people's favorite game of 2023, though, and I do think it's a bit of a wakeup call for what can be accomplished by just making a GAME instead of struggling to contort it into a service etc.

Street Fighter 6 is fucking fantastic but it could still use some more actual fighters and incentives to keep playing besides monetizing its players in weird ways. I love it, and it will be the game from 2023 I end up playing the most (it already is, I think). But if it ended as it is, I would be very satisfied.

Hi-Fi Rush is oozing with originality and style and I adore it to death, and when I finished it, I was very satisfied.

Resident Evil 4 kept me addicted for over 100 hours, had an amazing DLC expansion, oozes replaybility in the specific ways I like for a single player action game (rogue-likes besides). I am extremely satisfied by it.

Tears of the Kingdom is so massive and fun to just explore that I know I will continue to play more in the months to come. Will I ever revisit it entirely? I'm actually not sure! That massive length does lend some repetition, even if it's the kind I find therapeutic and satisfying.

And that's what made me realize something. My personal GOTY did not just satisfy me. It made me hungry. It filled me up in a way I didn't think was possible and yet I still hunger for more, because I enjoyed it that fucking much. I played through it twice and still hunger for more. I know I will play it a third time eventually, but mainly I just have not been to remove from my brain the particular ways it made me feel, ways that only a video game can. Nothing about it felt like it needed to be overlooked.

SF6 and RE4 had dubious monetization, TOTK had a story I found to be like 90% boring and it still maintains many of the flaws of the original. And Hi-Fi Rush, while amazing, just didn't scratch the particular itch this game did for me.

1) Lies of P

If you told me that Lies of P was a game developed by some sub-division of FromSoft, I'd believe you. Which is to say I would also believe that it was made by people who wanted to break free from some of the shackles of the now infamous 'soulslike' genre.

A narrative that actually makes sense by the end? Opening up options for the player without requiring specific stat levels? Encounters and boss fights that feel ravenously challenging without just feeling like cheap bullshit? Music that crosses borders beyond 'angry chorus, angrier orchestra'?

Lies of P doesn't quite eclipse Elden Ring, but that's an absolutely unfair comparison given the utter scope and scale and variety that game packs. But Lies of P improves at the FromSoft formula in specific ways, while making concessions in others, and as a result it's just an experience that seeped into my brain like no other game this year, not even Tears of the Kingdom, despite that I put half the hours into this one.

I love all of the games I have mentioned here, you could honestly swap around the order of this top 5 and I could mentally meander a way to justify why, no, actually, this one was my favorite game of 2023. In a year so awful for the people who make games, yet so amazing for games themselves, Lies of P is exactly the kind of game I needed. I needed someone to show me that you can make something directly inspired by someone else's work, yet fine tune it in all the right ways to make it stand just as tall in terms of quality and design. Lies of P made me feel things in ways only a handful of games ever do -- and I would actually count Hi-Fi Rush among those in a regard.

But Lies of P also told a story I found compelling. It had mystery, tension, buildup, it started off seeming like it would do the vague FromSoft schtick only to 100% come together, make sense, be rewarding, and offer a 'true ending' that I got on the first playthrough, organically, without looking things up, because it just... felt right. Not only is the game adapting FromSoft's formula into something its own, it's also doing that with the story of Pinocchio. The gameplay and the story congeal together not in the 'perfect' way that it does with games like Celeste or Undertale, but rather in a more... messy way, like a puppet aching to become a real boy.

The game is full of loss, in its world and for you as the player, who will die many times. But unlike much of FromSoft's catalogue, I never once felt like I died because of bullshit. Was I trolled? Sure, the game definitely 'trolls' you in classic FromSoft fashion, lulling you into a sense of security only to sweep you off your feet. But unlike how FromSoft does it, these circumstances can always be avoided if you're cautious. And if you're not? Hey, 'We got you! We gooottt youuu, haha' and you lose a couple minutes of progress, rather than like fifteen minutes and also an entire level's worth of souls because oh right, this section you just got through is kind of bullshit cheap.

Don't get me wrong, I love Dark Souls. But the thing is, Lies of P takes the parts I love about Dark Souls, admits it can't pull off quite the intricate web of level design, but then throws away everything I do not like about Dark Souls, improves on the things I already liked, and then pushes me to meet it on its level.

The satisfaction of being a boss you spend an hour, two hours on, cannot be understated. It's a feeling unlike any other, and one only this medium can provide. And Lies of P kept me motivated, like Sekiro before it, to keep improving, keep growing, keep trying. And unlike Sekiro, it gave me so many more tools to play with, to learn, to balance in an arsenal with intent. Enemies have elemental weaknesses if I so choose to exploit them, the moveset of one weapon's handle can be applied to a completely different blade, my robotic arm can leverage things in a pinch, or be the backbone to dealing with a boss. Mastery is rewarded with practice. A vicious boss that annihilates you in five seconds can be defeated without a single scratch if you practice enough. Mastery, creativity, quick thinking, and reacting are all rewarded here.

I am more than the hands pulling the strings, I am more than a puppet, I am human. And games like this can only be made by humans, who get that specific itch that only video games that challenge us can scratch. It's not an itch everyone has, but that's why it's my GOTY and not yours, innit?

With its unique setting, its wonderful music, its cozy hub area, its narrative that offers just enough to make me care, but not so much that I am bored or feel misled, its amazing boss designs, and its wonderfully tactile and engaging combat, Lies of P is a game I just can't stop feeling something about whenever I am reminded of it.

It epitomizes so much -- not all, but much -- of what I love about what video games can do, what adaptations can do, and much like how Toby Fox was inspired by Mother 3, what people can do when they are inspired by someone else's work.

As far as I can tell, this is developer Round8's debut game, and just. Holy hell, what a way to come out swinging. I haven't seen a debut game hit this hard since, I don't know, Bastion.

Close your eyes. Come to me. Feel all right.

I did, and I do, and given what you teased at the end of this game, I have extremely high hopes of what you come up with next. And in a landscape where things feel more difficult to get excited for with each passing year, much less new IP, it's so damn refreshing to have both Hi-Fi Rush and this game standing out as signals that, hey, some folks are still willing to invest bigger budgets into new games, new ideas.

Again, a battle of centimeters here and at this point I should wrap this up and go to bed.

But yea, Lies of P reminded me of what makes me, specifically, human, in a very particular way that only it has. And I honestly think out of all of single player games of 2023, I think it will actively stand out in my heart the most in the years to come.

#GOTY 2023 #goty #video games #gaming #Mother 3 #scarlet hollow #super mario wonder #future redeemed #Pikmin 4 #Hi-Fi Rush #re4 remake #TOTK #LOZ TOTK #Tears of the Kingdom #Lies of P #long post #Sea of Stars

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